Girl Warrior
by Rainumora
Summary: Two souls meet for the first time, yet their destinies have always been intertwined. With an entire land against their union, will love prevail or will they be torn apart through war? [[Alternative Universe]] [[KagomexSesshomaru]]
1. Chapter 1

**I have completely edited and reworked this story. The quality of _Girl Warrior_ is much better than the original and I hope my readers enjoy this new, spruced up version!  
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**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and I never will. Not making a profit either.**

**Story Notes: This story is in first person, so if you don't like that sort of writing, leave now. All flashbacks will be in italics, and thoughts will be written with ' '. Please read and review.**

**THERE WERE LEMONS IN THIS STORY BUT I EDITED IT TO COMPLY WITH FANFICTION RULES! IF YOU WISH TO READ THE FULL, LEMONED VERSION GO TO: a-single-spark com. Thank you for understanding.**

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I never believed in predestination, but sometimes I felt like the gods were mocking me. It was like my life's journey had already been decided by fate. In other words, I was the youngest of a pair of twins.

Twins could be the best, and the worst, for a ruler. If an Emperor, lord, or even a common were to have twins, it meant that the god's had wanted to grant them a favor, but only if the twins were male. Unfortunately for my father, my sister and I could never be the son he hoped for.

My sister and I were a disappointment in my father's eyes from an early age, but that did not stop him from attempting to make the best of the situation. My sister, Kikyo, was the older twin and thus received slightly more care and endearment. I did not hate her for that- it had been ingrained into my being that I was the lesser of us; Kikyo would always have priority. I simply accepted my situation in life.

Because we were both girls, father decided to educate Kikyo in the ways to run a country, warfare, politics, and diplomacy. And by educate, he dictated to Kikyo's tutors exactly what to teach her. I rarely saw Father for more than a few hours at a time.

My sister and I were, for the most party, separated from the day of our birth. She went off to learn how to rule a country while I was left behind. It soon became obvious that Kikyo had no interest in politics, war, economy, or anything other than fashion and her social position. I developed the exact opposite tastes, enamored with everything that had to do with the country or scholarly knowledge. Maybe it was because I was never allowed to e formally trained, or to learn how to use a weapon, that I felt the desire to obtain what was out of my reach.

Our nanny, a pleasant old woman named Kaede, taught me how to use a bow and arrow along with a small amount of aikido. We had to keep our meetings brief and to the point, so I was never usually allowed to ask questions, but one day Kaede looked pale and frazzled, so I had to ask her what was bothering her.

"_Kaede?" I looked at the old, wrinkly woman and I happily stretched my arms above my head, and then bent down to my toes. "What's the matter?" I had been looking forward to this afternoon's lesson, the snow had finally melted from the trees and we would be able to train together again._

_Kaede shook her head, not wanting to answer my question right away. She only did that if the answer would cause me more harm than good. "Your dear father has found out about our meetings, child, and we will no longer be able to train because of his orders."_

_I stopped, my hear thumping in my ears. No more training? But… I enjoyed this so much! "That's unfair!" Standing up, I stamped my foot, annoyance going through my every fiber. "He probably thinks it'll interfere with Kikyo's education somehow. It's always about Kikyo!"_

_The elderly woman shook her head, reaching over to rest a hand on my arm to still me. "Nay, child. I think it's because he's taking the advice from his Seer to seriously."_

"_You mean Naraku, that idiot?" Crossing my arms, I sat down next to Kaede after a moment, thoroughly upset. This was so like Naraku. He would find out something that I enjoyed then my father, and Father would usually take it away, using the excuse that it would somehow interfere with Kikyo._

"_I think it is because your father believes what Naraku says, that one of you or Kikyo carries Midoriko in your soul." Kaede replied calmly, gently putting an arm around my shoulders. She tried to comfort me, but I was still angry._

"_I doubt that. Midoriko has been dead now for almost a hundred years. Father's just being superstitious."_

"_That's probably true, but you must remember because your father is the Emperor and a grown adult, while you are still a child." Kaede said quietly, fingers gently petting my hair._

"_I am not a child Kaede, and I am old enough to make my own decisions on what I want to do!" I stood, a bit angry with the entire affair and with how Kaede still saw me. I was fifteen, going to be sixteen in about seven months, and by common standards already a woman._

Sometimes I wish I could go back to that time- the time just before I met _him_and others like him. Everything was so much simpler then, but, like I aid, I was old enough to make my own decisions.


	2. Chapter 2

Literature was one of my favorite past times, aside from training from Kaede, and I gained much of my knowledge from reading. Father did not bother to assign me a tutor- after all, why would I need more intellectual skill other than the basic reading and arithmetic abilities that other noble children had? I was only the second crime. Literature was a semi-perfect solution to my never ending boredom and lack of friendship.

I had a large scroll rolled out across my lap, and I read it with some interest. One of the few things I requested from Father was that I received scrolls from the Continent on a monthly basis. Oddly, he obliged, and every few weeks I would receive a stack of scrolls, ranging from adventure to politics to read through. Looking up as I heard footsteps, I scowled slightly to myself. The wonderful Princess Kikyo was gracing me wit her royal presence. "Hello, Kikyo." We were both technically princesses but hardly anyone talked to me with a royal honorific.

"Sister." Kikyo sat down next to me, delicately folding her legs underneath her with her hands in her lap, the opposite of my position. I was splayed out across the mats with a pillow behind me.

"I see you're reading another… Scroll." Kikyo scowled, attempting to read the top of the scroll, but the language difference of the Continent's and our own surpassed her knowledge. How ironic, to think I, one who was barred from knowledge, managed to learn the language on my on while Kikyo wasted what was given to her.

"Yep, another scroll. What is it that you want?" I finished the rough, hand-made paper, being wary not to tear it.

Kikyo shifted uncomfortably, her long tresses of black hair tucked into a peasant-styled bun. "Well… Remember when we were little children and Father separated us?"

"Of course." How could I not remember? I thought of it almost everyday. "What about it?" She only ever brought it up if something was wrong, and I was hesitant to get involved with her emotions.

"Well, Father's been thinking that he made the wrong choice. I mean… I'm not very good at politics and government… And…. And." Kikyo let out a sniffle, wiping her dark brown eyes gently with the back of her hand.

I sighed inwardly, it was always like this; she was the victim of all of Father's ideas and I was the consoler. "There, there Kikyo…" I gently placed a hand on her shoulder, unsure of how to cheer her up. I couldn't understand why she was sad. Father never thought anything of me, so I had no expectations in regards to praise or disappointment. Also, Kikyo and I didn't have a relationship. We know we were sisters but we never had the sort of bonding experience that most siblings had. I often wondered if this was Father's plot all along; separate us to break us, and then infuse the seed of doubt. Maybe I was reading too many Continent stories.

"Go take a bath with me, K-Kagome?" Kikyo asked quietly, hiccing softly as she wiped her moist eyes again.

"Okay…" I rolled the foreign scroll and set it to the side, standing with Kikyo. We walked quietly, moving through the pearly light of the afternoon, cutting across the main courtyard.

Servants bowed to us, greeting us with a friend or quiet, "Good morning Princess Kikyo and Princess Kagome." It made me cringe; the only reason for them to use the honofric was because we were together. Everyone knew that Father didn't really consider me to be a Princess, even though I was technically the next in line for the throne if Kikyo were to die.

"Oh, wonderful, Natsuko is in the springs." Kikyo stated vehemently, pushing a paper screen to the side and kicked her silk slippers off. We both saw the other woman's slippers at the first gate to the springs. I stepped through as well, shutting the doors behind us. I didn't have any slippers- my feet were good enough to walk on grass and wood. There was no need to coddle them.

Natsuko was Father's new concubine, and it was rumored that Father was still trying to have a male heir. Neither Kikyo nor I liked Natsuko, the woman looked down on us and seemed to be constantly trying to control Father. Our assumptions were probably correct, but either way we had to endure her.

Kikyo and I pushed apart another screen, this one made out of thing slabs of wood. We were greeted with the sulfuric smell of the hot springs, both of watching as handmaids moved out of our way.

"Hello girls." Natsuko was lounging against one of the many smooth rocks in the communal hot spring. She reminded me of a bulbous toad, even though she had the characteristic beauty that all of the ladies in the court desired. Her skin was pale; almost the color of milk, but it reminded me of a frog's underbelly.

"Hello, Natsuko." I replied, gently nodding me head in acknowledgment, Kikyo doing the same. Both of us started to disrobe, but I had to help Kikyo out of her obi. I wore the garments of a boy because I had yet to become a woman, and my breasts weren't so overly gratuitous that I needed to wear regular, feminine clothing. I unwrapped the long piece of silk, gently untying the fragile bonds, Kikyo's equally pale form coming into visibility. We were so different. Kikyo had become a woman at age twelve and had gotten breasts at thirteen, so she could wear a kimono without looking strange. I got undressed when they both had their backs turned.

Sliding into the spring, I moved from the two women, inwardly jealous. Using the steam to hide myself, I brought an arm up covering my breasts. I did not want to hear criticism from the others. Natsuko smirked; apparently she apparently caught the entire show as I moved into the water. "I see Princess Kagome is still a little girl… While Kikyo is already a woman. No wonder Takashi hates you." Takashi was the name of my Father, and I rarely head the name muttered in such a common fashion. Maybe this was a clue to Natsuko and Father's relationship.

"Quiet Natsuko, you know Kagome is more of a woman then you!" Kikyo snapped, rubbing her alabaster-colored skin with sakura petals, a servant kindly offering her a linen cloth.

Natsuko smirked, "I doubt that, she barely has her curls yet." I glared, and simply rubbed the dirt off of my skin. I eyed the other two in jealousy again; my skin darker than a noble woman's should be. I resembled a peasant… And it made me cringe. I spent too much time in the sun, maybe if I rubbed cow's milk on my skin every night like Kikyo, my skin could turn the color of it, or at least a shade or two paler?

After a moment of stifling silence, Natsuko stood, water rolling off of her voluptuous form, waiting for the servants to come and robe her. Blushing, I quickly looked away, my eye level with that of Natsuko's large breasts. No wonder Father liked her… He always desired women with a large chest and pale skin, even when Mother was alive.

Natsuko could feel my gaze shift, and she moved, leaning down so that her breasts were even closer to me. "Look at them all you want, because you'll never get your own!" Laughing as I colored in horror, Natsuko took the robe the servants offered, wrapping it around her shoulders and went to a private dressing room.

Kikyo scowled, scooting closer to me. "Ignore her, Kagome; she's just an old maid. We know what Father is using her for." I nodded, and dunked my head underneath the water, and attempted to wash the thoughts out of my mind.

xxxxxx

"_But why? Why is Mama dead?" A five-year old Kikyo asked, crying bitterly into her kimono's sleeve. _

_I looked away, unable to watch as the mikos prepared Mama's body for cremation. I felt Mama's death more than Kikyo, because she seemed to be the only one who understood me and my situation. _

"_It is hard to say, child, but Kami has a plan for all of us." Kaede said quietly, hugging us gently to her sides, tucking our heads unto her arms as the mikos lighted the fire. _

"_No, I want to watch Kaede." I pulled away and watched as they started the process of getting rid of the empty shell that Mother used to inhabit. We didn't know why she had died, only that the healer had been unable to cure it. _

_The mikos dappled lantern oil along the cloth of Mama's pale white robe, and the Daiisan readied a large torch. "We pray in the name of Kami. We wish for Kenanko's soul to be sent to Heaven, and that her reincarnation may have as fruitful lie as she did." With the eulogy said, the Daiisan lowered the torch, Mother's kimono catching fire._

_I watched as Mother disappeared into a plume of smoke, Kikyo's sobs rising as a prayer from the mikos and the Daiisan started. I simply watched, not shedding a tear. Mother would not want me to feel bad that she was gone, or regret, she would want me to be happy. _

I woke up in a sweat, hands trembling as I gripped the silk sheets of my futon. I hadn't remembered that time for almost a year, why was it suddenly coming back? It bothered me, and I know I wouldn't be able to fall asleep again.

Sitting up, I walked quietly to the paper screen that went into the Royal Family's private courtyard. Pushing the screen back, I stared up at the full moon, the area below my navel hurting intensely. The pain throbbed and churned, but I endured it, letting the night air clear my mind.

After almost an hour of standing there, watching the Moon, I stood and closed the screen, walking towards me futon again.

I stopped suddenly; something wet was rolling down my leg. I reached down, and pulled my hand back. Red. Blood.

I nearly swooned, I had become a woman but on the worst night possible, a full moon, the time when evil was at its most powerful. Was this an omen for my life to come?


	3. Chapter 3

I kept my initiation into womanhood to myself for most of the next day. I was afraid telling Kaede that I had gotten it, but after awhile the pain became unbearable and I told her. Kaede was happy, but she was also worried about the omen of me coming into womanhood on the full moon, but it could not be changed now.

"Ye are a full woman now, Kagome, and all I can do is hope that I raised ye right to make your choices." Was the first thing Kaede said to me. I nodded slowly, running my finger across the lines in my palm. I already had this awkward conversation when I was twelve, right after Kikyo got her own monthly cycle; everyone assumed I would follow her. We touched on the subject of intimate relations only for a few moments, and went onto more pressing matters. We discussed what it could mean for me to reach adulthood so late in life, merely weeks from my 16th birthday.

Kaede and I talked for almost an hour. At a little past midday, one of the manservants came in, an entourage of maids following him. "Princess Kagome, delegates from the Western Territory will be arriving in a few hours, and the Emperor wishes you to be present."

I raised an eyebrow skeptically. Father wanted me at a political gathering, what was he planning? "Indeed and why are you here other than that." I eyed the army of aids behind him, an odd feeling of intense fear forming in my gut. I had an idea of why they were here…

"We're here to dress you for the arrival. We have heard of your coming into womanhood and we are prepared to dress you as the woman of status that you are." One of the maids replied, bowing towards me.

My face colored rapidly and I sent an accusing glare at Kaede who simply shook her head. "The laundry maids must have told your father when they changed your futon this morning."

I Scowled, and watched as the manservant exited, seven women staring down at me. I could feel their eyes staring at my darker than normal skin, my tangled hair, and my chipped nails. Even the freckles that had started to peep up on my cheeks and along the bridge of my nose were under intense scrutiny. I had been right about their intentions.

"Oh my oh my!" One of the maids crouched down, holding a cherry wood comb and pins. "You hair is so long Princess Kagome, but it's in such bad condition!" The maid pulled my hair out from its coarse ponytail. I yelped. I could feel the knots being pulled.

"You're skin is so dark! You're like a little peasant boy!" A younger maid said, holding a cat-hair brush and powder bowl. "We'll make you look pretty, like ivory!" She swished the brush in the bowl, mixing the crushed pearl, rice, and soybean paste mixture.

"And your nails are so chipped! We'll have to file these down!" Yet another maid said, holding a soapstone set in a small piece of rose wood. She examined my nails, "tsking" at their state.

The other four maids had a long spool of silk and a light linen kimono and hakama. "We're going to dress you in this, Princess Kagome, so just leave everything to us!"

I stared at all of this, unable to believe what was happening. I started to scoot back, slapping at the maid's hands as they started to undress me. "Get away from me! I'm not going to dress up just for my Father!" I was annoyed that Father was suddenly demanding this of me- I was the reject, I had no idea how to be a courtesan! The maids did not bother with my protests, and I was stripped down nude and had a strange cream put on my hands and feet, one that smelled like rice and sugar. Another set of maids put the power on my face, neck, collarbones, and hands to give the illusion that I was pale like Kikyo or Natsuko.

"You look completely different!" One of the maids held up a mirror, and I looked at my new color. I looked strange, in my opinion, I looked almost like a walking ivory doll, and the cream made my wrists itch. The maids apparently thought I looked beautiful now and kept commenting on it. I, however, felt silly.

"Stand up Princess." One ordered politely, "tsking" quietly when she saw my breasts. I complied, finding it strange to be standing nude in front of a room full of strangers. A silk covering was wrapped around my small, but existent chest and hips. Another wrapping, this time much larger and lighter, went around my entire torso then down to my knees. After that, another silk covering, but this time in the shape of a robe, was placed on my shoulders and pinned together with a small enamel leaf. The silk under coverings were opaque, and a person could see the dark outlines of my nipples if they were to look close enough. Finally, a silk robe in a deep green color went around me, then a sand colored linen kimono with tiny leave designs along the long sleeves and hem. The obi was of a similar dark green as the under color, and I was finally dressed.

"I hate this." I stated quietly, and Kaede simply returned a sympathetic look, the maids starting to twist and braid my hair into an elaborate headdress. "Why do I have to wear this? I look like a doll."

"A very pretty doll!" One of the maids said, my hair being pulled rather roughly. I scowled at her attempt to be kind- it only made me feel more annoyed. The woman did not notice as I winced and finally red-enamel combs were placed in my hair, and I was allowed to look in the mirror once again. I was greeted with the stare of a completely alien figure; the dark blue eyes the only part I recognized. I wondered what I had done to allow this strange torture to happen to my self.

"You look amazing, Princess Kagome!" The maids cried in unison, congratulating each other on a job well done.

I, on the other hand, felt mortified and like a dress up doll.

xxxxxx

I stood in the outside foyer, my ankles and wrists felt as if they burning from the cream the maids had put on me. I yearned to scratch and wipe the make-up off frantically, but if I made the slightest movement other then to look doll-like, it would be interpreted as rude. So instead, I decided to survey my one parent. I watched the back of my Father's head. Father was just as robust and handsome as I remember, but sighs of aging were slowly starting to creep in. The lines around his eyes, the small gray hair at his temples… Father must be at least fifty now, maybe even older. I know he married Mother when she was young, and there was a large age gap between them.

As I stood absorbed in my thoughts, I did not notice as a servant snuck by, handing father a note. He contemplated the parchment, and then my Father nodded slowly, turning to Kikyo and me. We had been standing behind him for a good fifteen minutes, and when he looked our way, I took the change to move my position to behind Kikyo, making it possible so that I could rub my writs. "Yes Father?" I realized that he was staring at me, as if he had seen a ghost.

Father shook his head, almost annoyed at me for opening my mouth. He turned to Kikyo, ignoring me all together. "Kikyo, these delegates are… Different form you and me."

"What do you mean?" Kikyo cocked her head to the side, peering at Father with curiosity, if not stupidity.

"Well, they are not human. They are yokai, an older race than we are, and are exceedingly powerful. So please, both of you," he turned to address me this time, as I was the one who was the blubbering idiot. "Do not offend them. We hope to make a pact with their nation, for the Continent is brewing with civil war."

Kikyo and I nodded, and we remained quiet. 'Not human?' I pondered the idea, 'what would they look like? Would they have three eyes, or would they be hideously deformed?' Frowning, I bit my lip, smudging a small bit of the dark red paint the maids had used on my lips. I had heard stories of yokai, but we had never been allowed to see any. I was barely allowed out of the palace, the forest surrounding it my absolute boundary. After a moment of tense waiting, Kikyo and I moved behind Father again, this time the Emperor sat down on his knees, leaving us standing behind him. Women always stood, because we were not officially allowed to be a part of the discussion or be recognized as significant or important.

"Now announcing the Crown Prince Sesshomaru, and the Prince General Inuyasha." A servant called from about twenty feet away, the main gates to the small foyer opening. I was curious. 'So, both of these yokai are princes? Interesting…' Squinting to see the new comers, my vision blurred by the sunlight, I had to wait for a moment while they walked through the archway. Then, quite suddenly, it felt as if my heart had stopped.

They were gorgeous. These beings in front of me must have been gods descended from heaven. Both brothers had honey colored eyes, delicately pale skin, and silver hair. One, his name Inuyasha, had the most delicate dog-ears on top of his skull, and I had a sudden urge to go over and rub them.

Sesshomaru seemed even more god-like than his brother. Everything about him was perfect, even the strange magenta strips and sapphire crescent moon on his forehead made him look amazing. Moreover, to think, I had been expecting monsters! I felt like hitting my self-forever thinking such a thing.

Every other female in the courtyard must have had the same look on her face as me; Inuyasha smirked to himself and quickly hid it, attempting to obtain the cool façade like his brother. I was slightly amused at that, but my attention drew elsewhere.

I could not help but stare at either of their face, and slowly I started to absorb their entire appearance after my initial shock and amazement. Sesshomaru wore dark, amber colored robes with purple circles as embroidery. He also had a half-gauntlet made of stone armor across his left shoulder and across his chest, a red sash at his waist holding two swords. Inuyasha was dressed equally as rich. He wore the bright red robes of the fire rat, one of the most coveted materials in Japan because the material was so durable because it could not be burned by fire or cut by a common katana. He had one katana at his waist.

I wished with all of my heart that one of them would look at me; just to give me a fleeting glace of recognition for my existence. My frame trembled delicately, and I had to hold onto my fan a bit tighter, steadying myself to keep from swooning. I t was not lust that urged me on, but simple human nature.

The brothers stopped at a respectable distance of eight feet in front of Father. Either yokai's attention was focused on the most powerful man in the human world.

"I am Lord Sesshomaru." The eldest tipped his head, just barely.

"I am General Inuyasha." Replied the yokai in the fire rate robe. Obviously, Sesshomaru was heir to the Western Territory, and Inuyasha, like me, was stuck as an underling. I felt more compassion for Inuyasha, but he seemed gruff and not nearly as cultured as his older brother did. I could easily fall in love with Sesshomaru… 'Wait! What in the world am I thinking? There is no way either of these godly beings would ever notice my pitiful form. Their voices alone had caused me legs to tremble; I might die of shock if one of them were to notice me!' The discussion proceeded, and no one noticed my inner turmoil.

Father nodded, "I am Emperor Takashi of the Ryuiko dynasty. These are my daughters, Kikyo and Kagome." I felt the piercing, golden gaze of the brothers stray over me, for just a moment, but they were quickly centered on my father once again. Chills went up my spine at the thought of finally having some recognition with these yokai.

"Emperor Takashi, we bring a proposal from Our Father, Taiyokai Inu-Taisho." Waving a clawed hand, Sesshomaru watched as a servant ran forward, taking out a large, creamy piece of parchment. Such a movement seemed a hundred times more graceful done by a yokai. "This is an official letter from him to you, it has been unseen by my brother or I."

Father nodded, and took the parchment, unrolling it slowly, reading it line by line. After a few moments of silence, Father let out a tired sigh. "I see. So the civil war on the Continent has officially erupted. Who leads it?"

It was Inuyasha's turn to speak; "we have yet to find out that information, but we believe it is a reel group from the far West. That is all we know." Inuyasha was the Head General, which was his job as the second born- to serve his brother. That would have been my job if Kikyo and I were male.

Father nodded, "I see. We shall continue this talk at another time, you must be weary or at least in need of a reprieve from your journey. We shall speak about this tomorrow; tonight I invite you to a feast with my daughters and me in our personal gardens." At that, human servants rushed forward, taking the luggage that the brothers and the few yokai with them had.

Sesshomaru bowed his head, his long pooling over his shoulders. "We gladly accept your offer."

As people moved to leave, Sesshomaru raised his head, his eyes catching mine. It felt as if my soul and mind were being stripped to the core, as if he could see what I was thinking. I never needed anyone more than him, my young soul and body calling out to the yokai in front of me, as if it knew something I did not. I yearned for his touch, for his acknowledgement, for his very being. I felt that there was something much more between us, as if our souls were already intertwined with fate.

As Sesshomaru turned to leave, I was able to catch my breath, and I quickly dropped my eyes to the ground, feeling as if my blush was visible through my layers of cream and powder. The dinner tonight would be hard, but I anticipated it with my every fiber.


	4. Chapter 4

I turned quickly to leave the outside foyer, my breath coming hard as I made my way towards my room. I needed to calm down and get my bearings. Dinner wasn't for another three hours. I could finish reading my scroll.

Pushing back the screen to my room, I took a large breath, kicking off my geta just outside my door. Reaching for a towel, I wiped the cream off of my wrists and feet, the rash I developed becoming visible.

No wonder Sesshomaru had been staring at me! I must have looked like I had fleas from all of the shifting and attempts I made to rub my wrists. Blushing deeply in embarrassment, I hid my face in the cloth, breathing softly. 'I'll take a nap until it's time for dinner.' I put the towel to the side, and started to disrobe, having some trouble when I got to the smaller knots, but I managed to take the expensive silk off in one piece. After fumbling about for another few minutes, I moved to my futon, clothed in a small linen shift, and fell asleep.

xxxxxxxx

_Long gone, no more. _

_To find it where you least expect it._

_The sudden return changing everything._

I was roused almost an hour later, why had I thought of that old rhyme. What did it mean? I didn't have my time to think about that rhyme however, a group of maids was standing over me. Apparently two hours until dinner was barely enough time to get me ready.

The maids moved me into a large, wood tub, stripped me nude, and decided to dump a bucket of freezing water on me. Shivering, I held my upper body, my frame shaking from the shock and sudden cold of the water. "C-C-Couldn't y-you have g-gotten it f-from the hot s-springs?" I demanded, but remnants from the powder and cream were wiped off, and the ritual of putting on a kimono started again.

Instead of the two layer kimono from this afternoon, the maids dressed me in a seven layer, formal kimono with an equal number of silk shifts underneath. Protesting as the maid pulled the sash a bit took tight, I took a shaky breath, and I was handed a large, koi-decorated fan.

"You know how to use one, right little Kagome?"

I turned and found Natsuko standing in my door frame, her kimonos parted daringly down her front so that the entire world could see her ample cleavage. "Yes, unlike you, I know how to act like a lady." I replied coldly. I didn't need to hear the nasty words that would spew from her.

Natsuko laughed, shaking her head, the ornaments in her elaborate hair tinkling. "I doubt that, leave us." She ordered the maids, and after a moments hesitation they left, a few trying to stay behind and finish their job of preparing me. I eyed the woman, taking a step back as she approached. "Now then now then…" She grabbed the front of my kimono, ripping it open to laugh at my chest. "How pitiful, are you really the daughter of that whore?"

"Don't talk about my mother like that!" I snapped back, and slapped Natsuko across the face. The woman seemed stunned, as if she hadn't expected this rash behavior from me. I let out an annoyed sound, fixing my kimono.

Natsuko laughed, spitting out the blood that had formed from my hit. Folded her fan, hitting me across the cheek with it, sending me to the ground. "And to think… That man said you looked like his dead wife." She turned, slamming open the doors to the maids. "Fix up this girl; she messed up her hair and makeup."

xxxxxx

It took the maids an extra half hour to fix my appearance from my "discussion" with Natsuko. I was presented with a mirror to look at the foreign face that stared back. The only thing I was able to recognize again were my deep blue eyes; my only real signature trait.

"Princess Kagome, I am here to escort you to the Emperor's gardens." A man servant stated, holding a paper lantern to light the way.

I nodded and stood slowly, sliding on my geta as I stepped onto the balcony. I proceeded to walk forward at a teetering pace. The kimono's design was different then what I was used to; the heavy silk was tight on my stomach, thighs, and just above my knees, while the lower half around my calves swished awkwardly. "Is it supposed to feel like this?" I asked slowly, nearly falling over, a maid catching my arm.

"Yes Princess Kagome, please proceed or you will be late." The manservant said, and after a moment of clumsy walking, I followed after him.

Crickets chirped pleasantly in the cool evening, and decorative red and white paper lanterns had been placed around the Palace. Fireflies had been captured in glass vials with small holes, and were used to light the path around the garden. I looked about myself, trying to take in the ethereal scene. It was so beautiful! I nearly tripled as the man servant suddenly stopped.

He turned and looked at me sternly, holding the lantern off to the side. "Princess Kagome, please understand that this dinner is crucial to our country's survival. Do not make a fool of yourself." This old man was lecturing me on how I should act! Humph!

I scowled in return, "don't warn me, I'm not an idiot. Go tell Kikyo."

Before the servant could reply, I pushed past him, two imperial guards opening a set of large, iron decorated doors which led to Father's private gardens. I smiled inwardly as I walked through the multiple sakura trees and jasmine plants. Lanterns were placed specifically around the garden to make the trees or bushes glow. I'd give Natsuko credit for one thing; she knew how to decorate.

I rounded a bend in the garden, passing a large granite and gold Buddha, the Buddha holding a lit candle in his upturned hand. I saw the dinner table. No one was here yet, meaning that either Kikyo had gotten lost or I was a tad early.

Sighing in relief, I took a seat on the right of Father's cushion, hands bunched in my lap. I loved Father's gardens; they were the most beautiful of all the gardens in the palace and easily the oldest. But I rare got to them; I wasn't the favorite after all. I took a breath of the fragrant air, flowers blooming all around the table.

'Sesshomaru was amazing, even Inuyasha. Both of the yokai were so beautiful, so majesty beyond compare to any man that I have seen. Am I really falling in love with a man that I have barely met? And why would he return the feelings? I, a girl turned woman just a day ago, who just now has a budding figure…' Closing my eyes, I contemplated my dilemma. However, I didn't have much time to brood and I felt my face redden underneath my powder as the rich voices of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha echoed through the garden. Was I even supposed to be here? I looked around, wondering where I should duck behind, and quickly stood, nearly knocking over the table as I rushed behind a sakura tree. I leaned out just enough so that I could see the two men come around the bend.

Sesshomaru was dressed in a deep blue kimono. I could see a sprinkling of silver-thread embroidery along the hem and sleeve of the outfit. He had his long hair down, the mane of silver-white locks standing out the most of all of his features. He didn't have either of his katana, showing that he had faith with Father's intentions.

Inuyasha was dressed in orange robes this time. In my eyes, his appearance was slightly dim in comparison to his brother. His snow white hair was harsher and didn't have a metallic sheen to it like Sesshomaru's did, along with his overall demeanor. He also didn't carry his katana.

"Inuyasha, stop looking like a spoiled puppy." Sesshomaru said coolly, sitting down at his spot at the table.

"Feh! You know I hate being here Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha replied, tucking his hands into the sleeves of his kimono, glaring down at the plates laid out on the table. "I can't stand the damn smell of these humans." His nose scrunched up as he sniffed the air.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, "yes, but we need their help, even if you don't like it. Our numbers are dwindling, Inuyasha. If the war on the Continent spreads her, we won't be able to defend ourselves."

Inuyasha glared, and turned to the side, almost seeing me as I hid behind the tree again. So these brothers hated humans. How would I get Sesshomaru to notice me? Frowning, I looked to the side, shifting my foot ever so slightly. Unfortunately, it landed on a pile of dead leaves; the sound sent the two brothers into defensive mode.

"Who's there?" Sesshomaru asked, his eyes narrowed to deadly accuracy. He was looking for any sort of assassin, his body rigid as his muscled became taunt, ready to spring at any moment.

"Show your self!" Inuyasha snapped as well, flexing his clawed hands.

Heart thumping erratically, I slowly moved from behind the tree. "I-I'm sorry… I came here early and I… I…" Looking down at me feet, I felt my entire face color.

Inuyasha sighed, leaning back into his relaxed position. "It's just you, Princess Kagome."

'Just me…' I nodded, the tiny bells in my hair tinkling gently. "Y-yes, I'm sorry." I didn't dare look up. I could feel those rich, honey colored eyes boring into my every fiber. If this continued, I would start shaking like a leaf!

Sesshomaru stared at me coolly, and after a minute waved a hand. "We accept our apology, Lady Kagome, now please take a seat." he motioned a cushion right of Father's, the cushion next to him.

'Father had planned me to sit next to him the entire time!' I felt my heart race for a moment, and I slowly sat down delicately onto my knees. "Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru and Lord Inuyasha." After a few moments, I stared down at the table in front of me, an awkward silence filling the air.

"So… Princess Kagome, are you Kikyo's younger sister?" Inuyasha asked, gently tapping his fingers along the enameled wood of the table.

I knew he was trying to make conversation, but it was still a touchy subject. I closed my eyes. "No, I'm Kikyo's younger twin."

Inuyasha looked confused. "But you look so much younger than her! Don't lie to me if you are!"

"I'm not!" I started to blush furiously. This was all because of my obvious breast deficiency!

His next comment was stopped as Sesshomaru held up a hand, seeing that the subject was causing me discomfort. "I'm guessing then that Lady Natsuko is not your blood mother?"

I nodded, opening my eyes to stare at the cloth on Sesshomaru's left arm. "No. She's Father's concubine. She has lived with us now for almost a year. I knew my reply was monotonous but I couldn't help it. I was intimidated and attracted to the creature in front of me.

The silence drifted back into the courtyard. After what seemed to be an eternity, more footsteps echoed through the trees. Father, Natsuko, and Kikyo all came together, making me feel like even more of a fool. If I had been a paranoid person, I would've thought that there was a plot to make me look stupid in front of the yokai. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha stood, each nodding their heads in response as the Emperor entered. Father took a seat at the head of the table. Natsuko, as usual, was at his side.

"Esteemed lords, please know that tonight's feats has been crafted in your honor. My head chef has made delicacies from the Moon Palace." Father announced proudly, waving his arm in a grandiose motion.

"Thank you, Emperor Takashi." Sesshomaru replied, Inuyasha doing the same. Both yokai bowed their heads, showing respect to their hose.

"This is my consort, Lady Natsuko, and my daughters, Kikyo and-" He waved his hand in my general direction.

"Kagome." Sesshomaru said, finishing the Emperor's sentence. "Apparently Lady Kagome arrived early, so we had a bit of a talk." Father raised an eyebrow in my direction but decided not to pursue the topic. That would be rude to do in front of our guests. Instead, he waved the chefs in, the first course arriving.

I watched as bowls of miso soup and edamame were placed in front of us. I pulled my chopsticks out from inside their napkin, delicately holding the thin, green sticks in my hand. I brought the edamame bean up to my mouth, savoring the taste. I loved edamame; it was one of my favorite dishes.

I watched Sesshomaru out of the corner of my eye, attempting to be discrete. Sesshomaru brought the chopsticks up to his lips, holding a single edamame bean in the sticks, swallowing it one go. I shivered as I saw this; the only thing giving away my inner battle was the soft tinkling of the bells in my hair.

Father ate his own edamame quietly, and after a moment addressed the entire table. "How is the trade in the Western Territory, has it been affected by the war yet?" Father asked a typical diplomatic question.

Inuyasha set his miso soup bowl down, "not really. But the price of calligraphy ink and ox hair brushes has gone up significantly, nothing else seems to of been affected." As Father and Inuyasha talked about economy, I looked towards Sesshomaru, daring to move my view from his left shoulder up to his face. His eyes were not focused on anything in particular, just the beats he ate one after another.

I was rather thrilled to find hat he was not focused on Kikyo as most statesmen were at dinner. It made me happy to know that my sister's looks were not everything. 'But… If he's not attracted to Kikyo, he would not be attracted to me at all!' I stared down at the swirling bowl of miso soup, taking it gently in my hands. The yokai women must be beautiful creatures! 'Wait… Does that mean he's gay!?' Started at my own though, I nearly choked on the soup, and start coughing quietly, the conversation stopping.

"Are you alright, Lady Kagome?" Sesshomaru asked, his gold eyes fixed on my form. He was watching how I shuddered, as if assessing as if I was really choking.

"I-I'm fine!" I blushed and quickly took a sip of tea, staring down at the table once again, this time in horror. I had made a fool of myself in front of these godly creatures!

"Anyways…" Father continued his conversation. He was slightly displeased at my rather unsavory actions. I couldn't help it if I thought of something ridiculous. After a moment, he called for the second course; sashimi shaped like flower blossoms. I grinned when I saw this dish. So Father still remembers what I liked! It seemed as if Father was also trying to cater towards my needs, not solely towards the two yokai. Taking a piece of the dark pink fish, I dipped it in a small dish of soy sauce and wasabi, eating the entire piece with a satisfied smile. Heaven!

The rest of the dinner continued smoothly, and the third course was fried squid and vegetables. While the man course was of a strange meat that was red and then. The two yokai seemed to love it, the plate clean after a few moments. Father received compliments for his chefs and how they gauged Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's love of something called venison. I had no particular taste for it.

Towards the end of the meal, when the last cup of tea or sake was being poured, the conversation finally got serious. "We would like to form a pact with you, Emperor Takashi. A military pact to be precise." Inuyasha said, taking a sip of his tea. "Our armies are still depleted from the Great War, and we would like to form a solid resistance along the Eastern coast, and to possible go to war on the Continent if the need arises."

Father nodded seriously, frowning into his tea. "I see, that sounds reasonable enough, but how will I have a safeguard that you will not turn on me with the other yokai nations to take over the Human Domain when my men are gone?" The ever pessimist, Father was thinking of the possible negative situations that could happen in the future.

Sesshomaru's mouth twitched, "as shrewd as ever. We guarantee that we will not go against you in any war to come, unless certain events occur." Was he amused or annoyed? I couldn't tell.

Father let out a laugh, "you didn't answer my question, but no matter. Do you have a contract draw up already, or would you like my scribes to create one?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "We have one, already sighed by Father. It is in a large white chest." Father turned, waving to a servant to get and get the chest.

We waited for a few minutes, and then the servant returned, setting the chest next to Inuyasha. Inuyasha leaned over, pressing his thumb into something that was like putty which recognized the shape and grooves of his thumb. After a second, the lid popped open. Reaching in, he pulled out a large, creamy scroll that had a wax seal. Breaking the seal, he rolled it out across the already cleared table, reaching for a long, white-haired brush.

Father read the contract quietly to himself, Natsuko peering over his shoulder to read it as well. I attempted to, but I was only able to read a few of the sections, '…agree to supply soldiers… Neither side will act against the other… Consequences…' And it continued on.

Father reached for a brush, dipping it in blue ink; the ink that an Emperor wrote in. Signing a long stream of characters, he waited as a servant poured hot wax next to his signature, Father pulling out a pendant from around his neck, pressing his seal into the wax as it cooled. "Now that that is settled, I thank you for your time spent her, Lord Sesshomaru and Lord Inuyasha." Father said quietly and stood, bowing just barely to the two lords and left with Natsuko.

'What is Father thinking?' I frowned; he was leaving Kikyo and me with two foreign men all alone! Well, we weren't really alone, there were servants. But still, it was a risky gamble. I shifted uncomfortably, and slowly turned to Lord Sesshomaru, "have you... By chance… Read the Continent's Confucianism scroll?"

Sesshomaru seemed surprised at my question, but he nodded. "Yes, I have Lady Kagome. It was quite fascinating."

I blushed at my direct question, my hands clenched around the fan that I had in my sleeve. Most noblewomen were supposed to be airy and mysterious, not whatever I was doing. "I thought it was t-too, especially how certain areas were outlined in depth…"

Sesshomaru nodded, his think, silver tresses gently swishing around his shoulders. "Indeed it was."

We talked about many of the Continent's scrolls, and even some Japanese proverbs. Apparently Lord Sesshomaru was surprised at my knowledge of the world outside the Palace. He had thought me to be like any other noble lady. As Sesshomaru and I talked, I didn't notice as Kikyo and Inuyasha left, going their separate ways. The yokai in front of me was the only other person around, and after we stopped talking, I noticed it had gotten quite late.

"Lady Kagome, I would like to apologize for my brother's actions earlier." Sesshomaru added quietly at the end of our conversation, the words coming from him making me feel happy.

"Oh! You mean the comment on how he hates humans?" I hadn't really been fazed by Inuyasha's comment at all.

The yokai nodded, "yes, that was rude of him. But please understand that he was mistreated by humans for a long time, as all yokai have. But his situation was a bit more extreme…"

I frowned, finding the statement to be strange. "Really? But you both seem so kind." I watched as a small smile graced Lord Sesshomaru's lips, my heart beat becoming erratic again, a blush rising to my face.

"That is a nice compliment, Lady Kagome, but you must never judge someone by appearance alone." Sesshomaru stood to leave, and I quickly did as well. I had thought the same for many, many years. I bowed, the bells in hair tinkling their 'goodbyes'. "Thank you for the conversation Lady Kagome and I hope we will be able to have another soon." He bowed as well and I was just barely able to catch the rich scent of his hair and body. I turned to leave, my mind and soul singing happily for the rest of the night.


	5. Chapter 5

The days that followed the feast were filled with leisure and pleasure. Father took the two brothers on multiple hunting trips and other similar outings around the neighboring country side. I rarely got to see Sesshomaru, and the few times that I did, it would have been inappropriate to strike up a conversation like we had on his first night in the Palace.

Sighing, I stared up at the leaves above me, hands on my knees. I had gone outside the Palace walls today to try archery in real terrain, but my plan failed miserably as one of the servants found me with a bow and confiscated it. So instead, I decided to take a scroll from the Palace's library.

I had chosen randomly among the thousands of ancient and new scrolls, and I happened to pick one on the biography of Fa Mu Lan. Needless to say, I was entranced for almost all of the afternoon. I had never known that such a woman ever existed! It was amazing to think that she had been able to become a general and lead the army to victory with one battle after another. It was rather inspirational, but she also lived five hundred years ago.

I stood, slowly stretching my tense muscles as my thoughts drifted from my new found heroine back to the yokai Prince. Did Sesshomaru still see me as a child? Or was I a woman in his eyes? I was a woman to most human men, in my prime for marriage and child birth. But what about yokai? Weren't they immortal? Frowning as I thought this, I reached down for the scroll, tucking it underneath my arm. Most common girls now would either have suitors or already married at my age, what were Father's plans for me? Did he even have any? I know he did for Kikyo; his mission was to marry her off to some powerful Prince, or even better, to a son of the taiyokai!

Stepping over the large roots of the ancient trees, I nimbly picked my way through the under growth, listening intently for wild boars or bears. As my bare feet landed on a patch of dirt, I sighed. Kikyo this, Kikyo that… I let my thoughts wander from my sister to much more important matters. 'If Sesshomaru were to see me know, I would probably die of embarrassment!' I had donned my usual wear; a short peasant kimono with male pants. My hair was tied into a high pony tail and my skin was slowly starting tanning even more.

Scowling, I kicked the ground with my foot, and ended up stubbing my toe on a rock. Just my luck… I nursed my foot as I moved towards a tree trunk, leaning against it to see if I had broken my nail; no. Staring down at my pulsating toe, I started to lose my senses in the calm world around me, and if it hadn't been for the wind carrying voices, I might never have discovered what lay just twenty feet away.

Hobbling over to behind a bush, I peered out between the twigs, positive that I had heard the voice of Natsuko and Naraku. An odd pair to be alone together.

After my eyes adjusted to the gloom, I felt my blood rush to my face; I couldn't believe what I was seeing! The two were naked, embracing as if they had just finished a round of love-making, murmuring quietly to each other.

I could barely hear Naraku, so I leaned a bit closer. "Natsuko, my darling, how long must this go on?" Naraku asked softly, his pale hand moving down the front of Father's concubine. I'm not sure what compelled me to stay. The entire affair was just indecent.

Natsuko shuddered as his hand cupped between her legs, the woman turning to look at Naraku, her hair a mess. "Not much longer… Soon I will be able to bear your child, Naraku. I have had to use many child-killing herbs to keep the Emperor from getting a son too quickly, and they are slowly wearing off. Now that it's been a year, he has embraced me fully and trusts me and desires no other body than my own!

I watched with a reddened face as Natsuko spread her legs, my eyes able to see everything from this vantage point.

Naraku's fingers swirled around Natui's dark sex, three of his fingers pressing into her birth canal. "Do you want me, Natsuko?" His dark head moved to her neck, sucking gently on the concubine's thin skin.

She nodded, her face flushed with desire as her lower half writhed from Naraku's intrusion. "Y-Yes milord… My only lord. I need you, I need your seed."

Naraku smirked, and pulled his fingers out of the woman, moving his body around so that her legs wrapped around his waist, attempting to pull him into her hot core. "Say it, Natsuko."

He pressed down on her hips with his hands, holding his erect member just barely against her opening, the woman squirming against him even more. "I want you Naraku! O-Only you! Take me!" Letting out a cry as the Seer thrust his member into her, the two started to love-making ritual again, their grunts and moans filling the silent air.

I blushed deeply, even more so then before. Where would I go? What should I do? Who should I tell! I moved away, slowly at first, but my foot landed on a twig the harsh sound firing through the air, and the two stopping their love-making immediately.

"Who's there?" Natsuko and Naraku scrambled apart, quickly trying to get their clothes on.

I stood wide eyed for a moment as I saw a flash of red gleam from Naraku's eyes. They were inhuman! Then I spun around on my heel and ran back to the Palace as fast as I could.

xxxxxx

Panting, I collapsed onto my futon, my mind reeling even more. What… What the hell had I just seen? Pressing my hands to the sides of my face, I stared up at the ceiling. 'Treachery!' A tiny voice in my mind called out, and I quickly agreed to it. 'Not to mention the entire affair had been extremely embarrassing!' I blushed as I recalled the images of Natsuko subjugating herself, the skin to my ears flaring red.

Hiding my face in my pillow, I took a soft breath. 'But what should I do!' Feeling frustrated and confused, I gripped the pillow tightly, mind reeling with flashing images of the two having sex and the gleam of red in Naraku's eyes. I scowled, where had I seen that sort of eye before? I knew I had, but I just couldn't recall. Sitting up suddenly, I threw my pillow across the room, knocking over Mother's shrine.

Gasping, I quickly ran over, picking up the broken pieces of a special figurine Mother had given me. I felt tears start to form at my eyes; this day had just gone from bad to worse! Biting back the tears, I stood, holding the five pieces of a white dog figurine. After thinking for a moment, I set down the figurine in a small towel. Father told me yesterday that I had to always wear a kimono now and face powder if I was going to meander around the Palace. So, I would have to wear one if I wanted to go to the stables.

Scowling at the figurine, I pulled on a light pink and green kimono, tying a simple green sash around my waist. I grabbed a bowl of white powder, dabbing it over my face and neck loosely, putting a small amount of pink rouge on my lips.

Reaching down again, I grabbed the figurine, opening the door to my rooms, I pulled my geta on quickly, moving towards the craft making house. It was almost sundown, and the strange sound of cicadas with the lowering of the sun gave the Palace an eerie feel.

The hair at the back of my neck was standing up on end as I moved from the private chambers of the royal family to the main compound. It was odd; no one seemed to be around, maybe Father had taken the yokai Princes on another hunt?

Frowning, I walked through an inside foyer, passing Father's great receiving hall. I was about half way towards the stables. I knew one of the artisans who could glue this figurine back together, but the silence and constant clicking of my geta was slowly starting to wear at my nerves.

I moved through the servant's quarters. My paranoia was not unfounded, and I knew I was not alone. I could hear the faint padding of feet quietly behind me, as if something was stalking my every movement. Heart racing, I speed up for the last few feet of the corridor. I reached outside, taking the chance to look behind me. Nothing. Nearly panicking, I bolted towards the artisan storage house and stables, one of my geta snapping in half.

Cursing my ill luck, I limped the rest of the way, heart thumping the entire time until I was safely inside the charcoal-smelling rooms. "I-Izo?" I called out softly; hoping not to bring awareness to the pursuer that possibly still lurked outside. I waited for a few minutes, and not hearing a response I limped forward, looking around for the wrinkly artisan. Not hearing anything from within the room except for my own breathing, I shut my eyes, attempting to calm my frazzled nerves. 'Keep it together Kagome, there's a reasonable explanation for this…'

I opened my eyes after a moment, and then inched forward towards the back of the room, where Izo's work station was. Not seeing the old man around or in some horrible murder scene, I let out a sigh of relief, taking a seat on his stool. 'Kami… I'm going to give myself a heart attack!'

"Pr-Princess Kagome?" The wobbly old figure of Izo emerged from the back room, the elderly man gripping a cup of tea, attempting to look at me through bushy brows. He was having a meal, and I felt a bit sheepish to think that he had been killed.

"Oh! Izo!" I hopped off of his stool, opening the small cloth so he could look at figurine. "I… I accidentally dropped this, could you glue it together again?"

Izo took the pieces up in his hands, eyeing them through a large loop. After a moment of silence, he slowly nodded. "Y-Yes Princess Kagome." He moved around me, sitting down at the workstation, pulling out a small vial of a clear, putrid smelling liquid, along with a horse-hair brush. "T-This will only t-take a minute."

I nodded, and patiently went to wait a bit away from the old man. I looked around at the large tapestries and paintings scattered about the workspace, a smile coming to my lips.

"_Little Princess Kagome! It's a pleasure to see you!" A significantly younger Izo said to me, his wrinkly hands holding a tiny dog figurine that had billowy clouds around it. "Your Mother wanted me to give this to you for your fifth birthday!"_

_I giggled happily, taking the tiny statue, holding it to my heart. "Thank you Izo!" _

"_You're very welcome little Princess!" _

"…Princess… Princess Kagome…"

I snapped out of my daydream, turning to Izo who held the drying dog in his hands. "Oh thank you!" Walking over, I took it carefully in my hands. "I will be much more careful from now on!" Bowing politely, I turned to leave the artist's home.

Outside, the sun was still setting, but I feel happier and more carefree, as if this tiny figurine had reinvigorated my self resolve. 'I will find out why Natsuko was with Naraku!' Bringing myself together, I walked quietly forward, my thick ponytail thumping against my back. But… After a few minutes of walking alone in the dark, desolate stables, my heart started to shake, and I became frightened again. 'Where is everyone? They should be back by now!'

I stopped where I was, listening for any sign of approaching horses or voices. Nothing. Nearly crying angry tears, I moved forward, halfway towards the entrance of the servants' quarters when I heard the footsteps again. This time they were coming loud and quick!

Forgetting my promise to father to remain lady-like, I threw my whole and broken geta off, grabbing the hem of my kimono to make a run for it. Who would dare attack me inside of the Palace? It was foolhardy and would be counted as treason.

Gasping for breath, I ducked behind a pile of firewood, my blood pumped full with adrenaline. The steps had stopped, as if waiting for me to make a move. I waited, for what seemed like an eternity, and slowly made a move, away from behind the wood pile. Not seeing anyone, I hardly expected to be smashed down, into the ground from above. "Little Princess…" Hissing into my ear, I felt the blood drop from my face, my breath coming in quick, shallow bursts.

"Let me go!" A hand went over my mouth, and I started to kick and attempted to bite at the hand covering my mouth, but nothing would shake the attacker off. I was not young enough not to know what happened when a man caught a woman he was after, and at the moment that worried me the most.

"Little Princess…" The voice repeated, a hand clawing down the back of my kimono, claws pressing through to my skin, cutting my flesh. "You saw something you shouldn't have…" I let out a whimper when the five symmetrical cuts started to bleed, tears falling from my eyes.

The man leaned down, and I was able to barely catch a glimpse of my attacker, the red gleam in his eye giving his identity away. It was Naraku, my Father's trusted Seer!

Scrambling against him with renewed vigor, I kicked and thrashed, managing to land a bare foot in his stomach. But Naraku didn't seem to be fazed by anything; his dark hair was pooled across my head and upper shoulders. "It's useless, Little Princess." He stated calmly, but with a hint of detached amusement that made my hair stand on end. Tears squeezed from my eyes as I felt the Seer start to unwind my sash. He was going to take that! The only thing I had that could be considered maidenly.

"G-Get off of me!" Hiqquping out this sob, I was surprised when my attacker was suddenly lifted off, a rich voice saying;

"And just what are you doing to Princess Kagome?"

Naraku growled, his red eyes gleaming in the half darkness as he attempted to claw at Sesshomaru. The yokai had other plans, and threw him into the wood pile. Howling in rage, Naraku stood, and after a moment assessed the situation, then turned, vaulting over the outer complex's guard walls in one great leap.

I stayed on the ground, letting the sobs rack my frame. This had been too much. Sitting up slowly, I wiped my face off of the powder, large streaks going down to reveal my tanned skin, my hands cut and bruised from when I fell. MY back burned painfully, but I was more embarrassed over who had saved me. I dared not look up towards my savior; not wanting to see his reaction to me sniveling and blubbering like a small child.

"Lady Kagome, are you alright?"

I was forced to look up as a clawed hand was offered to me, and I slowly stood, aided with his hidden strength. "T-T-T-Thank you." More tears forming as I looked towards his down turned face, I lost all decorum and political knowledge, and simply rushed into his arms, hugging him tightly.

I made it awkward for Sesshomaru, but after a moment he seemed to get used to me. Sesshomaru slowly lowered a hand, gently patting my upper back, his fingers feeling the shallow cuts from Naraku's claws. "Are you alright?"

I nodded slowly, and moved away, wiping my face again, just now noticing I had gotten white and pink make up all over the front of his hunting furs. "Oh! I-I'm sorry…" Reaching around for the cloth of my dog figurine, I saw, in dismay, that it was broken into around twenty pieces. "O… Oh…"

I kneeled down, and slowly picked it up, staring down at the tiny dog. "I-I'm sorry L-Lord Sesshomaru, but I d-don't have an-anything to w-wipe you off with." Fresh tears came as I realized my prized possession was permanently broken, and this time I gripped it to my chest, another sniffle coming from my frame.

"It is alright, Lady Kagome. You must see to a medic about your wounds, and tell your Father of Naraku's betrayal." I felt a warm, reassuring hand get placed on my shoulder, but I shook my head.

"N-No, Father treasures Naraku's guidance too m-much to believe me. B-Besides…" I looked up at him with my teary blue eyes, just barely able to make out his features. "I'm just the y-younger twin."

Sesshomaru peered down at me, his face showing a hint of kindness. "Princess Kagome…" His gentle arms reaching around, pulling me into a warm embrace. "I am sorry." He didn't seem to understand about my relationship with my Father, but he did not push the issue. Sounds from the hunting party suddenly erupted in the courtyard, and we quickly flew apart, I teary and blushing at the same time, while he remained as regal as ever. "Go, Lady Kagome, you will have enough time to get to your healer."

I nodded and turned, running towards the medic hall. Tonight had been frightful, but I had been in the embrace of the one I craved for! Nothing could make that memory dim.


	6. Chapter 6

I walked slowly into the medicine hall, my back burning and throbbing at the same time. 'What did he do to me? Why is it so painful!' I winced as I leaned my shoulder against the door frame, breath shuddering as I realized one thing; he must have poisoned me!

Limping forward again, I called out with a raspy voice, "M-medic…" I slumped onto a futon face first, my forehead became slick with sweat, and after a few minutes of waiting a monk ran forward, "Princess Kagome!"

I looked up at him with clouded eyes, and I leaned my head back down, barely motioning with my right hands towards my back. "A… Attacked…"

The monk quickly pulled the remaining cloth off of my back, keeping it wrapped around my legs and waist to preserve some dignity. "What happened to you, Princess?" He prodded at the cuts lightly with his fingers, trying to figure out how to cure them.

I shook my head, my tongue starting to grow thick in my mouth. "P-Poison."

The monk assessed the wounds for a moment, and then leapt up, running to a medicine chest, throwing open top. "Poison! I'll give you a medicine that cures all. Don't worry Lady Kagome!" I didn't reply as my vision start to swim, and quickly shut my eyes. I could hear the monk calling for Kaede and for another monk, foot steps beating into the room as I finally passed out.

xxxxx

"…Will she make it…?" Emperor Takashi asked quietly.

"I do not know, milord, but the poison appears to be dissipating. But…" The monk stopped.

"But?"

"She will have scars."

xxxxx

I woke up about a day and a half later, my body plastered with sweat and I had a strange, sour taste in my mouth. I sat up slowly, the thick coverlet falling from my form. I had a large mass of bandages wrapped my torso. 'Kami.' So much for my wounds, were they really that bad?

I reached up with my arm to lightly rub my cheek, peering around the gloomy room. It was a few hours before dawn, and the room had a sleepy feeling to it. I stood slowly, my back throbbing dully. I was almost nude, and after a moment I looked around. I saw a silk dressing robe and slowly pulled it on. I felt horrible, and my entire body felt sore, as if I had gone through a week of intense military training. Pulling the screen to the side with one hand, for I found that if I tried to use both of my arms at the same time, it would send intense shooting pains down my back. I stepped out into the cold night, I let a breath go.

This past week and a half was a blur of emotions and pain. Rubbing my face with my left hand, I stared down at my bare feet. I needed to thank Sesshomaru, with complete sincerity, but I also needed to talk to Father… Frowning, I looked up, startled to see the two who I had been thinking of sitting on a stone bench in the gardens in front of me. Neither seemed to notice, or pay any attention to me, which I was half grateful for.

I slowly moved forward, taking a minute to step down off of the wood decking that went along the inside of the courtyard. "Good evening, Father, Lord Sesshomaru."

The two men stopped their conversation abruptly, turning towards me. Sesshomaru seemed more surprised then ever; apparently he hadn't expected to see such tanned skin, or I was completely appalling. "Good evening, Princess Kagome."

Father nodded in my direction, a serious look on his face. "Kagome, is it true that you were attacked?"

I nodded, wincing as the movement tugged on the healing skin of my back. "Yes, it is, unfortunately."

Father frowned, his hand going up to rub his graying temple. "Lord Sesshomaru says he does not know who the attacker was, and would like to express his apologies for not getting there sooner." I felt a blush rise to my cheeks at this statement, looking to Sesshomaru.

I quickly shook my head, holding back the wince as it hurt my back. "No, no! Please, Lord Sesshomaru, if you hadn't gotten there when you did, I would have been in an even worse condition. Thank you." I bowed fully this time, my dark hair trailing over my shoulder and towards the ground, my hands on my thighs. As I stood, I could see a twinkle of amusement in Sesshomaru's normally listless eyes, and it made me happy on the inside. Oddly, my back did not hurt.

Father watched the interaction between us, as if gauging what his next mode of conduct should be. 'Hem'ing, softly, Father brought a hand up, placing it on my arm. "Kagome, I am glad you are safe."

I was a bit shocked at the emotion in Father's voice, and nodded slowly. "Father… I… Well, it will be hard for me to say."

Father frowned once again, his handsome features turning downward. "What is it, Kagome?" His hand dropped from my shoulder, and I saw him retract behind a courtesan's mask.

"The person who attacked me was… Was…" I took a breath, taking strength from Sesshomaru's nearness. "It was Naraku." Silence greeted me after I made this confession. I was worried that I had caused father a heart attack, or something along those lines, and when I looked up at his face, all I could see was anger. That worried me. I had closed my eyes to gather my courage, and after a moment I opened them, peering at Father

Father was scowling, and a hand went up, slapping me thoroughly across the face. "Stupid girl! You know that could never be true! Naraku has been here for longer then you!"

I felt my eyes burn with suppressed tears, and I covered my reddening cheek with my left hand. I heard Father get up and leave in one angry movement. Silence stayed in the void where Father stood, and I didn't dare look at Sesshomaru. Swirling in my own unhappiness, I was surprised when I felt a heavy, clawed hand get placed on my arm. "Lady Kagome, please, have a seat."

I sat down, my head facing away from Sesshomaru, the godly yokai. "I'm… I'm sorry you had to see that, Father… Father doesn't feel sympathy towards me." 'Might as well say it bluntly.' I thought.

"Lady Kagome." I felt a clawed hand tilt my head gently up, and towards Sesshomaru's face. "You do not need to feel shame; it is not your fault that your Father cannot see value in you."

I blushed delicately, "thank you, again, Lord Sesshomaru. That means a lot, especially coming from you." I blushed even deeper as I realized I had conveyed some of my feelings towards this omnipotent being, and I watched as a curious look came to his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

I shook my head quickly, attempting to make an excuse or change the subject. "Thank you Lord Sesshomaru!" I stood, and quickly turned to run back to the medic hall, not looking back at his single, lonely figure.

xxxxx

In the next few days my recovery went smoothly. Feeling slowly returning to my back, but I soon found out that my body would be permanently marred from Naraku's encounter. I had five evenly spaced but differently sized scars that had a purple tinge to them running down my back. To top my predicament off, I had to endure standing next to the vile creature for an entire ceremony on the eve of Sesshomaru's departure, my heart aching with sadness and rage at the same time. Sad to see the amazing yokai lord to go, and anger towards the one who had stolen my precious time with him.

Sesshomaru and InuYasha would not leave until the next day, and I was hopping to catch one last glance of the brothers before the morning. But the entire day after their ceremony, they spent rounding up Father's troops, putting them in line, and supplying them for the long journey ahead.

I watched solemnly as oxen were loaded with supplies, pulling a large cart behind them full of blankets, extra armor, food, and other miscellaneous things. I sat with my head in my hand, still pained from my back every now and then, but my heart ached incomparably.

After an hour of waiting with no sighting of Sesshomaru, I got up, heading towards the main household. I needed to speak with Father, and try to convince him that Naraku was the one who attacked me, and that I was not making it up. I stopped in front of Father's private chambers, about to knock on the wooden doors, but I saw they were slightly open. I took the chance to sneak towards them, listening for the conversation inside.

"…Kagome accuses you of attacking her, Naraku." Came the happy, slightly drunk voice of Father.

"Nay, that is not true sire. You know I would never attack Princess Kagome." Came the soft, hissing voice of Naraku.

I heard the clink of sake cups, as the two men took another sip of the fermented rice.

Father laughed jovially, "I know I know! She is the younger twin and all, so I would expect something like this from her!"

Naraku agreed whole heartedly, tipping another cupful of sake into Father's cup. "Yes, yes, that's true. She is becoming a danger to herself… And Kikyo."

Father's laughter stopped short, and his voice became harsh. "Kikyo? Have you Seen it?"

Naraku nodded, from what I could tell of the clinking of his many adornments. "Yes… She will interfere with the Domain's future!" Naraku filled Father's cup once again, Father taking the cup down in one gulp.

"That! That must be st-shtopped!" Father was becoming even more drunk now, his voice slurred and not nearly as alert as it normally was. "That daughter of mine will never interfere with Kikyo!"

"I know sire, so that is why I have created a Proclamation, saying that she will be sent to the farthest reaches of the Domain, along the northern border." Naraku seemed rather pleased with himself.

Father nodded sluggishly, his hand waving the sake cup around. "Good good! Le… Let me sign it!" He clumsily reached for a brush and blue ink, Naraku helping him as Father nearly spilled the bottle full of ink on the hatami mats below. Blue ink could only be used by the Emperor- it was a sign of his royal blood.

Naraku unrolled a small parchment, made of the creamiest paper, with a large, golden circle for where Father's seal will go. "Here, sire." Naraku's pale hand went up, helping to grip the calligraphy brush to sign Father's name.

Father nodded, his eyes closing for a moment as if he had dozed off, but was suddenly alert, holding the golden medallion around his neck. "G… G… Get the wax… Naraku." Naraku obliged, pouring the hot wax into the golden circle, which Father then pressed his emblem into.

I took a step back from the door, my hands over my mouth. Father had signed me away, signed me to the Northern Border! I must get out of here! I turned, running quickly towards the servant's quarters and Kaede's room, bumping into a large influx of soldiers and monks, all of whom begged my pardon and got out of my way.

"Kaede! Kaede! KAEDE!" I shouted out my old nanny's name, practically running through the paper screen to her room, the old woman opening it quickly.

"What is ye problem, child?" She asked as I slumped onto the floor, gasping for breath.

"Father!… Signed!… Northern Border!" I wheezed out these few words, burying my face into my arms.

"What? Explain what ye mean." Kaede kneeled down next to me, placing a hand on my shoulder, helping me sit back up.

"Father signed a paper saying I was to be banished to the Northern Border!" I said in a whisper.

"Are ye sure?" Kaede asked solemnly, her single eye staring at me with intense purpose. "For if this is true… That means that Naraku's influence is more then we thought." Her wise gaze seemed to be calculating something, as if she already knew an answer to my problem.

I nodded quickly, "I heard them! I heard the entire conversation! Naraku got Father drunk… And… And produced this scroll and Father signed it without hesitation!" I felt tears well up in my eyes when I realized again the severity of Father's factions.

Kaede frowned, nodding slowly; she turned back to a pot of soup she had boiling over a fire pit. "I see… Kagome, do you know when you will be sent off?"

I nodded quickly, scrambling forward on my hands and knees to get closer to her. "Y-yes! Tomorrow, after Lord Sesshomaru and InuYasha leave!"

My old nanny nodded again, taking the ladle from the pot up to taste the soup. "You cannot stay here then."

My heart stopped. "What?"

"You cannot stay here." Kaede repeatedly softly, standing with a groan as she moved over to a small, locked chest.

"But… Where will I go! I have no money what-so-ever, and… And I don't want to leave you!"

Kaede listened to my objections, opening the chest with a copper key she had around her neck. "I understand what ye are saying, Kagome, and I have thought something like this would happen, so…" She produced from inside the chest a small pouch and a large traveling bag. "Here are two gold crowns and a few copper pieces. That should give you enough to live on for awhile."

I watched, mesmerized, as Kaede handed me the tiny leather pouch. "But what am I to wear, where am I to go?"

Kaede gave a grim smile, and opened the bag. She pulled out a garment. A soldier's uniform. "You will go where they least expect; into the army."

I stopped, and nearly laughed. "Kaede! You can't be serious! If they find out I'm a woman, I'll be killed… Or… Or violated in some way!" I started to refuse the armor, but she quickly pushed it on me.

Kaede looked at me, her brown eye melancholy. "Aye, I know child. But where else have ye to go?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but I closed it realizing I didn't know. I didn't have anywhere to go; all I knew of was inside this Palace. "No where…"

Kaede nodded, and helped me stand. "I shall put some salve for ye's back wound in the pack, but you should be prepared to strike out, and leave with the soldier's tomorrow morning, when Lord Sesshomaru leaves." My heart skipped a beat when she said the yokai lord's name, but I pushed that feeling aside.

I nodded slowly, gripping the two bags to my chest. "Thank you, Kaede. I know you are looking out for my well being."

Kaede nodded, a small smile coming from her face. "I am sorry it had to come to this, Kagome, but you will get through it." She reached forward to hug me, and after a moment we parted.

I nodded again, my head staring at the wrinkly face of Kaede. I would miss her, Izo, even Kikyo… But I had to do this; I had to get out of here. "Okay." I felt strong again, a feeling I hadn't had in days. "I will leave before dawn, so that the maids will think I'm still sleeping when I don't reply to their calls."

Kaede placed a calloused hand on my arm. "You know archery, and some hand combat. You will be fine, Kagome." I gave a tiny smile, but it felt cracked and useless. I could only hope that I was able to get through this nightmare.


	7. Chapter 7

I was tense the rest of the night, and I had dinner in my private rooms. I kept thinking over and over in my head, what if this didn't work, what if I got caught? I finally decided to go to sleep around midnight, with the pack of the soldier's armor tucked underneath my futon.

xxxxxxxxx

I woke to Kaede gently prodding me, tugging the warm, silk coverlet off of me. Shivering in the pre-dawn air, Kaede helped me dress without candle light in the armor. It was an alien feeling, the heavy shingled armor pressing against my back and chest.

"Kagome."

I turned to Kaede, sitting down to pull up the canvas shin covering and tie it to the dark green cloth that covered my thighs. "Yes?"

Kaede seemed tired and sad, my old nanny slowly saying. "Kagome, I must tell you… You… Should never let anyone see you nude, ever, and when your breasts start to appear, you have to bind them. Because… You could end up…" She stared down at her arthritic hands, a sigh coming through her body.

"I know Kaede, thank you." I tied my longish hair back in pony tail, placing a hand on Kaede's shoulder. My hand was heavy from the light gauntlets I had to wear now. I knew what would happen if I was found…

I attempted to give Kaede a warming smile, but only managed to do a sort of sad grimace at the woman. I stood there in silence for a few minutes, thinking over my life, what had happened in my short years on this earth, and where I would be going. Slowly, I moved to leave, the cock calling outside. "It's time I go, Kaede." The woman nodded, standing to gently hug me.

"Be careful, Kagome."

I gave her another smile, and this time left my rooms quickly, satchel across my shoulder. I would have to be quick; I couldn't let any of the servants see me, let alone my family. Everyone would question what a solider was in the royal family's rooms. Or why I was dressed as a solider if they recognized me.

Jumping down off of the high deck, I quickly ran, skirting through my family's living quarters, making it to the soldier's barracks in record time. Panting, I looked around; men were groggily moving about, eating coarse rice gruel with pickled radishes. I wrinkled my nose; soldiers certainly did not have the best of meals.

I walked towards a large, middle aged man who seemed to be the head of everything. "Uhm… Where do I register?" All of the soldiers had to register their family name and age for the military's records.

The man looked down at me, his gray and black beard standing out against his tanned, lined face. He let out a snort, waving me away. "Just load the ox carts with the food supplies. Check back in about an hour."

I nodded, shifting my pack on my back; at least he didn't look twice at me, or recognize me as Princess Kagome. Was I really that boyish looking? I walked towards a large group of men heaving rice sacks onto the back of a double draw ox cart. "Can I help with anything?" I asked after a moment.

One of the men turned to me, throwing the large forty pound bag in my direction. It nearly knocked me over, but I managed to haul it onto the back of the cart. The man then tossed me another; not noticing my obvious problem. It continued the constant throwing and heaving of rice sacks, for a good ten minutes before I managed to get away. My underarms felt bruised and my biceps were screaming in pain.

Thinking dark thoughts, I skirted around the edge of the camp, heading towards the blacksmith's barn, hoping to get a kantana or a set of arrows. As I rounded the corner into the door, I knocked strait into another man, both of us jumping back and apologizing at each other profusely. "Sorry about that." I mumbled, embarrassed and scared.

The other shook his dark head, a smile across his pale face. "No, it was my fault as well." When he looked up, I saw that he had the most beautiful violet eyes, and seemed to have a royal air about him. "I'm Miroku."

He held bowed slightly, waiting for me to return the gesture. I quickly realized I was supposed to give my name. "I'm Ka…" I stopped immediately. I couldn't give him my actual name! "My name is Kai." I bowed in return, nearly blushing my face off.

"Kai? Interesting name. Anyways, are you here to march off with Lord Sesshomaru and Inuyasha?" Miroku asked, steering me out of the direction of an incoming mass of busy, grouchy looking men.

I nodded. "Yes, you are as well?"

"That I am. What quarter are you in?"

"Quarter?" I frowned, "I don't know."

Miroku sighed, "well, you'll have to see the taskmaster for that; he's the one with the long white beard and nose hair." He pointed out an elderly man sitting under a tree, a large scroll and writing desk propped across his knees. "It may take awhile."

It certainly would, there were at least fifty men in line, all of whom were at least a foot taller then me and out ranked me. "But, I'm not officially enrolled… Is that ok?" Was I going to be found out before I even left the Palace?!

Miroku frowned, and nodded after a moment, "I guess so. But I don't know for sure, go see the taskmaster." He pushed me towards the old man, and I slowly obliged.

xxxxxxx

It took an hour to be registered and assigned a quarter, and at that point the entire camp was packed and ready to go. I was in the same quarter as Miroku, much to my delight and his. It seemed as if I was already making a friend, even if the friendship was based on me being a boy, it was still genuine… Right?

"Attention!" Everyone rushed into their quarters and filed into ranks. The large man from before with a gray and black beard stood at the front. I knew him! Even if I did not recognize him from before; he was General Masashi, and Father sometimes had dinner with him.

I peeped around the person in front of me, I was a little bit shorter then the other cadets in my quarter, but we all seemed to be the same age; between fourteen and sixteen years old. Miroku was apparently already a few ranks ahead of me, more then I had imagined, either a captain or a lieutenant.

The quarters were groups of fifty men and were lined up in rank. The most superior officer was the first man in the front row of the left, and the newest was in the back row on the right. The first row was almost entirely comprised of Colonels, while the middle had two captains, four lieutenants, and then higher ranking cadets. The last three lines were reserved for new recruit.

General Masashi moved across the ranks of men; a total of about five hundred of us in this one compound. "Our other ranks will join us once we reach the Miramesha Fort on the Eastern coast."

He turned, walking back towards my quarter. "We have a surprising amount of cadets this year, and as such their training will be over seen by the second lieutenants. No cadet will be issued a kantana until they obtain basic skill use for it; for their safety and our own."

This sent a ripple of chuckles through the more experienced men; apparently waving a kantana blindly around was not the thing to do. "Now! Along with my self and Generals Izumo, Urameki, and Jirao, Lord Sesshomaru and General InuYasha will be commanding you and the yokai forces."

On cue, the two yokai lords moved to either side of General Masashi, both inus dressed in battle armor. Surprisingly, neither wore armor like we humans did, Sesshomaru simply wore a chest plate and a cover over his left arm. While Inuyasha wore his fire-rat robe that I had seen him in the first day, and iron forearm gauntlets. Both yokai had kantana's, while Sesshomaru oddly had two; one with a scabbard and one without.

Sesshomaru's hair was tied up into a high pony tail, like my own, and he had a commanding presence. But, it was not him who spoke first, but Inuyasha; "I am General Inuyasha. My brother and I expect only a two things, one of which is obedience. We do not want to have to repeat our orders, for we are looking out for the good of both of our nations. Also, if you do not respect us, we will in turn not respect you. Be you a cadet." His eyes traveled over the back lines of all of the quarters, "or a colonel." This time he looked to twelve men throughout the five hundred. "We will respect you if you do the same."

Inuyasha nodded to Sesshomaru, who stepped forward. "We will now start out for Miramesha Fort. Colonels, lead your respective quarters."

Orders started to ring out through the courtyard, and within minutes I was marching out of the Palace through the main gates, servants and courtesans, along with some of the soldier's wives and children seeing us off. I was in the third quarter, and it relieved me that I was not completely last so people would not be able to pick me easily out from the crowd of men.

'Good bye Kaede, Kikyo, Izo… Even Father. I shall miss you all.' As I that as I walked through the main gate, leaving my old life behind.


	8. Chapter 8

We finally stopped at mid afternoon for a break and a quick bite to eat. At this point, my legs were aching and my back hurt from being hunched over in the screaming wind. In the last three hours, a storm had come and bogged us down. Our military line was moving horribly slow, and the inside of my armor feeling as if it was lined with water.

Shivering, I bit into the cold radishes I had been given for a snack, taking a bite from a rice ball as well. The cadets were happy talking amongst them selves, and tried to get me involved. Nevertheless, I was too worried about being discovered that I did not respond, and soon they forgot about me. I felt a bit alone and depressed; but I kept remembering Father and Naraku's conversation. No way would I be banished! Taking a hearty bite into my rice ball, I looked up as Miroku sat next to me. Miroku was about three lines ahead of me in our Quarter, making it extremely hard to talk until now.

"Rough day?" He asked, looking at my pale, tired face. He had a similar meal, but his radishes seemed slightly less pickled than mine were.

I nodded, taking another bite of my rice ball. "Yeah." Rough could hardly describe the anxiety I was feeling.

Miroku placed a hand on my shoulder, trying to comfort me. "Don't worry, it's not in vain."

I looked at him quizzically; "what do you mean?"

The solider gave a soft laugh, looking up at the dark sky. "Enlisting! I did it to help raise money for my family… And…" He looked sad for a moment, and then shook his head, moving to stand. "Anyways, it won't be so bad now that you got through the first day."

I frowned, "you mean we're not going any farther?"

He shook his head, "no, the road's gotten too muddy and all of the humans are exhausted. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, though, seemed to be as happy as clams."

I imagine the two yokai lords gurgling around in water as I had seen clams do before, and then sighed. "You have strange sayings, Miroku." Miroku laughed, and waved, turning to help some men set up a tent.

I could only think to myself, what was I doing here? I know I could never be a bride after this escapade, too many rumors and chance of 'defilement'. I had heard the speech from Kaede many, many times. Letting out a sigh, I stood to look around, feeling lost and frightened. I only had one person to turn to, and even that relationship was based on lies.

xxxxxxxx

The small quarter of soldiers, I was assigned to were on one side of the main road, in a particularly large clearing. The day was still young, but it had started to drizzle, slowly turning into a shower. Most of the soldiers had taken refuge under oiled tents or the trees, but a few were forced to keep a look out for attackers or something equally as bad.

I leaned against a tree, my stomach rumbling faintly, my rice balls and radishes not sufficing for a meal. I wished now I could see Sesshomaru, just a glimpse would make my actions worthwhile. As if hearing my thoughts, I managed to look up to see Sesshomaru and Inuyasha walk into a large tent with the General. I was in desperate need of some sort of distraction, so I stood at the same tree for a few minutes to see if Sesshomaru would leave the tent. After the first twenty minutes Sesshomaru did not, so I turned to walk towards the cadet's tent to take a nap, then I stopped. How would I bathe and sleep? This was a problem.

Staring at the muddy ground in front of me, I frowned, my hand rubbing the back of my neck roughly. Bathing would be easier, I could sneak off from the group when I was able to take a quick dip in a stream or hot springs, but with sleeping, I would have to take my armor off, and then the boys would be able see I was a girl. Frowning, I looked up to see Miroku walking my way, and I raised a hand in greeting.

Miroku grinned, tossing me sheathed kunai knife. "Well, your training as a Cadet officially begins."

I stared, I had not expected this on the first day, but it was bound to happen eventually. "And you're grinning… Why?" I had a sneaking suspicion that this was not going to be fun.

Miroku only replied with another grin, "Come, you and five other cadets will be trained by me. We are going to practice everyday when we stop for camp at night. Once we get to Miramesha, it will be everyday from sun up to sun down!"

I inwardly groaned. What had I gotten myself into?

xxxxxxx

The other cadets were standing and attempting to look important when Miroku and I arrived. One, sixteen years old, immediately let a sneer go across his face. I would have thought him handsome, if I had not heard his next comment.

"Lt. Miroku, why did you bring this urchin to train with us?" Asked the boy. I stared, unable to fathom what I had done to receive such an insult.

Miroku did not even respond, only delivering a quick kick that sent the boy down on one knee. "You cadets are all equals, and one, even you, Irumo be you the General's son, cannot, and will not, insult your fellow peers." Irumo stood, glaring at me and quickly moved back, nursing his bruised side.

"Any other insults you boys would like to get out?" Miroku asked, hands on his waist, strangely similar to the stance Kaede would take to scold Kikyo or me when we were younger. The other boys shook their heads quickly, looking down at their feet sheepishly. 'Strange. They seem to all move in a pack.' I thought to myself, watching as each boy mimicked the one standing next to him.

"Now, we already know Irumo, what are your names?" Miroku asked, his violet eyes staring at each cadet.

After a moment of silence, they sounded off. "Katen." "Runio." "Yasu." "Eri." Miroku turned to me, expecting me to introduce myself to the group. I quickly stated my one-syllabic fake name. "Kai."

"Good, now that we all know each other, reasonably enough, we shall start with basic kunai techniques today." Miroku stated to us, and took a step back. "All of you draw your kunai from the scabbard." Each of us did, unsure of how this was going to help in our training. I drew mine swiftly, holding it point downwards, as I would a kitchen knife.

Miroku scowled, and moved about, correcting our holds, mine being the worst of them all. "Never have the knife pointed downwards; else you could end up having it in your thigh. An enemy solider will look for any way to kill you, as you will to him."

I shivered at these words, but followed as Miroku tested each of our grips. He pressed down on the kunai from above with one of his own. All of our grips faltered, mine failing again. I could hear Irumo snicker at the end of the line at my plight, receiving a swift smack in the back of the head by Miroku. "This is quite saddening; apparently none of you are ready for kunai, let alone, kantana battles. We'll have to work on strength and endurance training it seems." Miroku said with a sigh. "All of you, sheath your kunai, we're going to the river near here." My heart faltered, was my worst fear already becoming realized, within minutes of me thinking it?! I nearly bolted, but I remained calm, following at the back of the pack of boys.

I watched Irumo closely, realizing I had met him once before; he was the General's son, they had the same jaw line and eyes, but Irumo gave off an evil aura, as if he was plotting something. I let myself send a scowl at the back of his head, nearly bumping into my newfound enemy as we stopped.

Miroku had led us to the shore of a strong river, looking us over slowly. "This technique is simple. You will work on strengthening your legs and lungs by walking back and forth across this river. It may seem barbaric, but you will often encounter that you will have to pursue your target across the worst of terrain, sometimes even water when wearing full battle armor. It is best to start preparing for the circumstances now. Eri, you're first."

The youth stepped forward, eyeing the moderately shallow, yet rapid waters. "What if I trip?" He asked Miroku.

Miroku simply replied, "don't trip."

Eri gulped, taking the first step into the water, then another. Soon he was almost thigh deep, the current swirling around his ankles. He seemed to be struggling as he got to the middle of the river, but managed to get across, obviously wheezing.

"Katen." The other youth stepped out, having the same difficulties as Eri. Irumo went next, having relative ease compared to his fellow cadets.

When it was my turn, I could only sigh. I walked to the edge of the river, and slowly walked out, being sure to keep my footing true and steady. It was not as hard as I thought until it got to be about waist deep. I struggled for a moment to keep my balance, the water weighing down the inside of my armor. Shuffling forward, I shivered as the freezing water started to drain out of the small holes of my scaled armor, reaching it to the other side safely. It was not as bad as I had thought; apparently, I had built up endurance with Kaede. Miroku made each of us go across the river and back at least thirty times before giving us a rest, all of us flopping onto our backs panting.

Eri and Katen had become friends, or already were, for they talked the most out of all of us. I remained silent, noticing how high pitched my voice was in comparison to my companions. I stood; walking a bit away from the group to sit down in the sun, by this time the small rain fall from earlier disappeared. 'This isn't so bad.' I thought to myself with a bemused smile. 'Though it is a little lonely.' I watched the boys laugh quietly among themselves, not bothering to include me in their games and fun. Lying back, I felt a bit better about my situation. If anyone, Miroku looked like he would become my first, and only, friend.

A small voice at the back of my head gently nibbled at my consciousness, asking the question, 'is it true friendship if it is based on lies?' I could not answer the question, and soon enough we were back to our exercise, my mind focusing on the task.

xxxxxx

"_Kikyo, do you think I'm pretty?" I asked my sister, the two of us sitting quietly in Father's gardens. We were about eleven at the time, the two of us looking extraordinarily different, even though we were the same age and siblings._

"_I think you're pretty Kagome, but how come you ask?" Kikyo replied, looking at me with dark brown eyes._

_I could only shake my head, fingers twitching in my lap. "I heard the servants gossiping about me, calling me a country brat and other things because of how unkempt I am."_

_Kikyo looked at me, sad, as if her shallow brain knew something I did not. "It's alright Kagome, you know we're still sisters, and everyone has their own unique radiance about them."_

_I grinned, feeling immediately better. "Thanks, Kikyo." That was the first, and last time, Kikyo said something so profound. _

I sat in front of the main cooking fire, eating my dinner of soup and rice slowly. Kikyo's words echoed deep within me. Those were probably the last encouraging thing I had ever heard from her again. Was I really pretty like she said, or was she only trying to make me feel better? For the umpteenth time today, I doubted myself, my looks, my abilities, and even my love for Sesshomaru. I wish I could return to being a small child, when Mother was still around, so I could run to her embraces and always know there was someone who loved me.

I felt even more alone in the world as I passed my dishes to the soldiers on clean-up duty, going to my training group's tent. I loathed having to be in the same twenty feet of Irumo, let alone the small confines of our oiled-canvas tent. I rolled out a rice mat, and then placed a thin blanket on top. I removed the hard outside armor I wore, but I left the canvas cover on, only having the bandages from my back wound and a small silk shift underneath. It would not be too uncomfortable, just something, I would have to get used to.

I rolled up another canvas mat for a pillow, supplied a single wool blanket for that, it being moderately cool, not freezing. I feel asleep within moments, my hands gently bunched together near my throat.

If I had stayed together a bit earlier, I would have seen a certain yokai pull back the flap and enter, peering down at my sleeping form with golden eyes. Sesshomaru was a magnificent creature, and maybe my soul felt this in my sleep, for I had wonderful dreams that night, even if I would never remember his hand gently running over my cheek. It gave me a sense of happiness the next morning, even thought I was confused why.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: There was a lemon in this portion of the fanfic but it has been edited because I want to comply with FanFiction rules. Please go to A Single Spark if you wish to read the full chapter.**

* * *

"Is… Is he dead?" One terrified, new female servant asked.

"No, just in his Seer trance." Whispered another, the two women staring at the man in front of him.

Naraku looked strange, he was sitting straight as a board with his eyes as far open as possible. Their dark color was no longer there, but now milk gray often associated with blindness or death. Everything on him seemed to be rigid, and it did not even look as if he was breathing.

"Should we just leave him…? Or should we dust him?" The new servant said softly, the two house cleaners gripping each other's hands.

"Ju-Just leave him." The two quickly backed out of the room, shutting the wooden door behind them.

Naraku was not dead, not even close. The man had actually gone into an astral trance, where his soul was able to leave his body and communicate with others on an invisible plane of reality. Many people thought that this trance meant he was gazing into the future, but he actually was not. Naraku was not even part of the Seer bloodline, killing the previous Seer's son, and took his place.

Even though he was not a real Seer, Naraku was able to gain vital information months before anyone else in the Human Empire, or even Japan, received it. Naraku had many connections, three of which were his own flesh and blood. A wind sorceress, Kagura, his younger sister, and the soul-capturer Kanna, his even younger sister were two of them. Both were in the West's Territory, acting as spies and information gatherers for him.

His other contact was his son, but more accurately his incarnation, Hakudoushi, a boy he created by cutting out his own heart and infusing some of his soul into. A smashing success in Naraku's eyes, and he also had the advantage of being able to contact Hakudoushi instantly, through what some might think of as ESP or telekinesis.

The Emperor, of course, knew nothing of Naraku's secret connections, or what Naraku really was. Naraku was a hanyou, and like many other hanyo before him, the mixing of blood gave him strange powers. Naraku's special power was regeneration and mimicry, able to take on the shape of any person he chose.

Naraku's eyes seemed to be focused on the chest in front of him, but he was in actuality looking down at Hakudoushi.

The astral realm was a strange place, where few could access, the person either needing to have immense spiritual or demonic power. It was like looking at the shadow of a shadow, a paradox in the real world, but made complete sense in the astral plane.

As Naraku peered down at Hakudoushi, his eyes caught the faint flicker of shadows, showing more souls were suddenly appearing on the plane. "Kagura, Kanna, kind of you to join us." Naraku whispered quietly.

No one had physical form in the astral plane, only the semblance of what his or her spirits looked like. For hanyou's, it was often the same appearance that they had in the physical realm, while youkai would take the shape of their ancestral animal or element.

Kanna looked up at Naraku, her white form flickering in the strange, glowing light of the plane. "We bring news, Naraku." Whispered the girl, her mirror flashing in the dreary light. Unlike bodies, inanimate objects were able to pass through in the astral real whole, but only if they were not infused with a soul. Even though Kanna's mirror took souls and held them within its reflections, it did not possess a soul.

Kagura scowled, her wind fan flicking annoyingly against her thigh. "Yes yes… The army is almost to Miramesha."

Naraku frowned, "how long has it been in the physical world, then?"

Hakudoushi took this as his opportunity to answer. "Two weeks."

Nodding slowly, Naraku had briefly forgotten that the astral and physical times worked differently. What only seemed like minutes in this realm could be days, or even years in the physical. "Anything else?" Naraku asked after a moment, his form flickering slightly as he started to return to his body.

Kagura scowled, "yeah, apparently the Taiyokais are being extra careful, and they've all formed some sort of temporary alliance, in addition to allying with the humans."

Naraku could not help but grin, the fools! They were setting up his plan perfectly! "Good… Good, and have you found the brat, Kagome yet?"

Kanna shook her head slowly, "no." The child whispered, "she still eludes my mirror, but I have reason to suspect that she is in the Army, either with Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's protection or in disguise."

The hanyo nodded slowly, his form starting to dilute, his hair starting to turn gray, and his kimono a light violet. "And you, Hakudoushi, how goes the war on the Continent?"

Hakudoushi grinned nefariously, his abnormally sharp teeth glinting in the half-light. "Wonderfully, Naraku. All goes as planned. The humans are now fighting themselves and the remaining yokai. The fool of the Emperor still believes me to be his blood son."

Naraku smirked; he had sent Hakudoushi to the Continent almost eight years ago, the very beginning of his plan. "Good, it seems as if nothing is awry. Kanna. Kagura. I want you both to watch for when the army gets there, who's in it, and if you can spot Kagome."

Kagura scowled, but complied with a sharp nod. "Alright, I can probably sneak in easily enough, but Kanna will have a bit of a problem in that part."

The all-white girl looked up at Naraku with blank eyes, her emotions long since drained and locked deep inside of what remained of her shriveled heart. "I agree."

"Then just watch with your mirror. I must go, something is touching my physical body, and rudely I might at." Naraku muttered, and his soul disappeared from the astral plane.

**A/N 2: Summary of what happened The lemon was between Natsuko and Naraku and the two are planning to overthrow the Emperor.**


	10. Chapter 10

After two long and painful weeks, we were almost to Miramesha. Just another night in the woods and soon we would see the stone, comforting walls of one of the largest human forts.

I could not help but smile at the thought of sleeping off the ground, and having the chance for a real bath. 'A real bath!' I hadn't been able to bathe properly for the two weeks I had been with the soldiers, the main reason being that it was simply too risky. All I was able to manage was a quick jump in the nearest, freezing river, and dry myself off before someone came looking for me. 'But not now, no more rivers for me! Now I would have a real bath!' I thought these words with more emphasis then I needed, my smile growing into a grin, for which I quickly received a harsh tap on the back of my head. "Hey!" Turning to see who had hit me, it was none other then Irumo, my newfound archenemy. I thought Natsuko had been horrid, now it seems a boy not much older then I outranked her.

Irumo made a face at me, which he in turn got a hit on the head from Miroku. Miroku was not trying to play favorites, but our friendship aided in our union against Irumo. "Quit acting like idiots, both of you." My out-ranking friend snapped, and he turned his violet eyes to the other cadets, all of us seeming to have regained our mischievous ways that Miroku had tried so hard to train out of us.

I smiled again, but kept it hidden this time. The days had become easier for me to endure, the ache in my breast for my home quickly disappearing within two days of leaving it, and I had a few chance meetings with Sesshomaru. The first time had been purely military, the generals introducing all of the four quarters to the yokai brothers. I nearly blushed my face off when Sesshomaru's gaze landed on me, with the familiar, yet alien, stare that seemed to strip my very soul nude.

The second time I saw Sesshomaru was an accident. I had to relieve myself, and unlike the Palace, which had a strange, wooden tubing system, the woods were completely hostile and uncivilized. On my way back from the particular bush I had picked, I managed to spot Lord Sesshomaru and General Inuyasha talking underneath a large pine tree. Both were calm and collected, but Lord Sesshomaru had a certain, wild-eyed look to him that I had never seen before, and both yokai had an electric aura to them. I was under Sesshomaru's mystifying spell once again.

As I thought of my meetings with Sesshomaru again, I nearly bumped into the cadet in front of me, but I stopped in time, wondering about the sudden halt. I stood on my toes, just barely able to see over the unusually gangly cadet in front of me. General Masashi seemed to be addressing the colonels and other generals solely, but after a moment, the commanding men turned towards us.

General Masashi waved the colonels back to their respective quarters, and he sat a bit straighter on his horse, something he had acquired in a village we had passed by about an hour ago. "Quarters three and four, you will be going to the yokai slayer's village, one and two will continue onto Miramesha. Lord Sesshomaru, General Inuyasha, which would Quarters would you like to be with?"

When addressed, the two youkai moved to the front, and the two simply looked at each other. Sesshomaru then looked to General Masashi, "three and four, general, my brother shall accompany you to Fort Miramesha." General Masashi nodded, and waved his hand forward.

I heard groans coming throughout my quarter, on how we would not be able to rest at all, but had to keep on marching. I was a bit confused, yokai slayers? I had never heard of such a thing, and why would they want to slay yokai, Sesshomaru certainly did not need to be slain!

I turned towards Miroku, who had been assigned for the day to keep watch on us cadets. "Miroku, what's a youkai slayer, and why are we going to their village?"

Miroku seemed extremely happy at this notion, and I wondered why for a moment, but the man quickly answered. "A yokai slayer is a person, sometimes called a taijiya, their official title, who slays evil youkai. We are going to their village because they are renowned in weapon smithing, and it seems that our quarter has gained the honor of hauling the weapons back to Miramesha."

I frowned, this did not sound rewarding at all! "Then why are you so happy?" I asked after a moment, seeing his elation continued.

Miroku looked away suddenly, a small smile coming to his face. "I'll tell you later tonight, Kai." I simply scowled, turning my attention to Lord Sesshomaru at the head of the lines of humans, my mind wandering as I basked in his magnificent glory.

xxxxxxx

"So, tell me why you're so happy, Miroku." I stated calmly in between sips of warm ginger tea. It had gotten remarkably colder in the last few hours, our trek now solely up hill. It made me wonder just how high up the yokai slayers lived, and what kind of people they were if they could survive in this horrid environment.

Miroku gave me a half, sly smile, taking a sip from his tea as well. "To be honest, I hadn't been expecting this turn of fortune." He set his wooden mug down, putting his hands on his knees.

"And how exactly is being in the biting cold a turn of fortune?" I asked, a scowl forming on my face, pulling a military-issued oiled reed cloak around me tighter. It was not comfortable, but it stopped the chill of the wind.

"Well, this situation may not be the best, but… I am rather… Well, taken with one of yokai slayers." Miroku quickly took a sip of his tea, hiding his embarrassment.

My eyebrow rose delicately, I was surprised. Miroku was a bit of a leech, each time we passed a small village or town, he would always find the prettiest girl and ask her five certain words; "will you bear my child?" I had never thought that he would take a woman seriously enough to consider marrying her, and I was inwardly glad. "So then, what's her name?"

Miroku looked down, a smile creeping to his lips again. "Sango, she's the Chief of the village's daughter. She's an amazing woman, one of the strongest taijiya, and beautiful."

"Indeed." I could not help but smile as well from Miroku's reaction. He truly seemed to be smitten with this woman. "Well, I wish you the best of luck in winning her heart."

My commander nodded, but his eyes seemed sad. "Indeed, but she will have nothing to do with me… But I will persevere, Kai." Thumping me on the back roughly, he stood, walking away from the fire.

I scowled, adjusting my cloak over my shoulders again. Men were definitely strange, but I had a feeling that Sesshomaru was not like this at all… If he truly loved someone, he would come out and say it, no matter of his icy façade.

xxxxxxxx

The next few days were even colder, and we continued to climb higher. After a certain point, it started to snow, and all of us were issued winter-styled armor, with tight holes around the arms and legs, as well as down padding underneath. Training continued, though, and it was getting as hard as ever. My fellow cadets and I had finally graduated to having bows and arrows, a field in which I easily surpassed the other cadets. I had even gotten recognition from one of my quarter's colonels, and was promised a bow specifically made by the yokai slayers when we reached their village. It made me happy. The military appreciated my proficiency with the weapon and awarded me for it.

The fourth night up the mountain was easily the coldest, but we were only about five miles from the yokai slayer's fort. We humans were unable to go on though, the cold and high banks of snow wearing us down easily. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, on the other hand, still looked as if they could go for days on end. They did not change their garments much either, which surprised me.

I sat down on a tree stump with a loud 'thunk'. I had been given sentry duty for the evening with Irumo, an experience that was far from pleasant. In the first five minutes of our duty, the other cadet had succeeded in running off with his friends, leaving me alone. Cadets were not the only ones on sentry duty, of course, because it would be folly to post inexperienced soldiers such as us on such an important duty. However, it was important that we got the experience.

Scowling, I took a sip of freezing water from a leather sack I had at my hip. It had started to snow around an hour ago, and my fingers and face were slowly becoming numb. Luckily, my shift was almost over and I would be able to return to the warm embrace of the campfire shortly.

Standing with a huff, I shifted my dark, red bow and quiver on my back, my kunai strapped tightly on my right thigh. I could see fairly well around me, but everything the surrounding forest was muffled in a thick blanket of snow, my frozen surroundings giving me an eerie feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was like the ghost stories I heard as a child, which made me even more nervous.

Stepping over a tree root covered in snow, I slid slightly, almost loosing my balance. As I righted myself, I heard a soft crunching in the snow, like footsteps. Franticly looking around my self, I drew my bow, stringing a bowstring quickly, and then knocking an arrow. Better to shoot from afar then to get into a direct battle and risk my own death.

My breaths become quick with panic, and I looked around myself, eyes wide, trying to catch in everything around me. Something was moving around me, like it was in circles, and I was not able to track what it was. Panicking more, I knocked my arrow again, and aimed for the darkness in front of me. I was positive that I heard something from that direction.

I moved forward, my grip loosening, as I heard nothing out of the ordinary. 'Nothing…' I stopped, letting out a held in breath. "Nothing." I repeated to myself, a bit louder, laughing slightly.

"Mmm… A fresh girl, a strong one, she smells tasty."

My blood froze, the voice was not human, it was deep with a soft clicking should, as if large teeth were hitting each other with each word.

"Yes… She does smell nice…"

Another voice and my heart nearly stopped. I quickly knocked another arrow, aiming it in front of me, attempting to look as menacing as possible. I shivered in the cold air, my eyes trying to track any movement in the surrounding bushes.

I suddenly felt something travel down the back of my armor, and I whipped around, fumbling as I drew my kunai knife. What I saw nearly made me faint. It was man shaped, but its head was that of a bull, only the torso and upper thighs remotely human. It had horrid claws, like a hawks, with hooves for feet. The creature took a step forward, spittle dropping from its huge mouth. I did not know what to do, but I knocked my arrow, and let it fly, easily missing the creature by four feet.

It simply laughed at my inability, and took another step, its obvious man parts out in the world for all to see. My face paled, and I knew something was terribly wrong. I had heard of such monsters, but they only were supposed to live on the far western side of the Continent.

"You smell good, you smell ripe…" Hissed the second voice, and the creature's tail whipped around, showing the head of a serpent.

I quickly drew my kunai, feeling that my bow and arrow would be ineffective. Hands shaking, I backed away slowly, my eyes wide with fear. 'What… What the hell?'

It took another step forward, the snakehead letting out a hissing laugh, the talon-hands rising. "Deliciousss."

I gulped, and swung my kunai knife blindly, barely scratching the creature's leathery skin. I nearly tripped over myself as I backed away, there was no way I could possibly defeat this creature. When I tripped, I landed on my quill, breaking all of my arrows. I winced as one jabbed me in my lower back, but my pain was replaced by fear as I the creature pinned my legs down with a single claw, using the other one to slice away at the ties around my waist.

I panicked, immediately knowing what its intentions were. "No! Get off of me!" I struggled, stabbing at its arms and lower torso. Nothing seemed to phase it at all, my kunai actually bending when I stabbed it as hard as I could above its heart.

The monster laughed its spittle landing around my throat and upper chest. I winced, feeling the saliva burn through my armor and onto my skin. "Get off of me!" I reached behind me for something, anything to kill this monster. It ripped my lower haori off, leaving shallow cuts along my thighs. It pulled my legs apart, poising a huge, red member between my legs.

My stomach immediately froze and I managed to grab an arrow. "I said… GET OFF!" I felt something surge within me, and I felt power ripple through my arm and into the arrow, a pale, pink light at the stone tip of it.

The monster quailed, and started to move back, its snakehead hissing as bull let out a roar. There was no way I was going to let this monstrosity get away! I sat up as best I could, and sunk the arrow into the area above its heart, the monster exploding into a flurry of white ashes that disappeared as soon as they were formed, leaving only a large, deformed bull skull.

Panting, I fell back, resting my head on the room behind me. What had I just done? I was confused, but also exhausted…

I managed to pull my haori on, being leery of my fresh leg wounds. I tried to stand, but found myself unable to… 'Just for a moment.' My eyes closed, sleep called to me.

xxxxxxx

I woke up about three hours later, the moon high in the sky. At first, I was a bit confused, wondering what had roused me, but I saw a person leaning over me, long, ebony hair pooling around their head. My eyes obviously showed recognition, for the person sat up.

I was not able to tell the sex of the person from my angle, a large, metal mask covering their mouth and nose. "Who… Who are you?" I managed to croak out, even my eyes feeling sore from my display of power.

I felt hands start to unlace my faulty ties around my waist, and I started to panic, but that soon faded as I felt warm hands go over my fresh wounds with a healing balm. "Thank… Thank you." I whispered those words quietly, and I fell back asleep, leaving my safety to a stranger.


	11. Chapter 11

There was something warm and soft around me, and something was licking at my cheek.

I opened my eyes, squinting at the bright light of the noon sun. My surroundings were unfamiliar, I was in a large cottage or manor, and it was hard to tell from my perspective. I moved my head slightly, and I was greeted with a tiny 'mew mew'. A small cat was staring at me, with large, warm eyes. Two tails swished behind the cat, and I frowned, but I felt no evil from its tiny being.

"Ah, you are awake." I turned my head the other way, the voice sounding familiar. As my eyes became used to the light, I realized I was under a large fur and silk blanket, a fire crackling merrily about six feet from me. The person who spoke was sitting with her back to me; I assumed it was a woman because of the tone of the voice, and the pink and green kimono.

"Where am I?" I managed to croak out, my voice and head sore.

"You are in the Taijiya Village." She replied, and turned, holding a stone bowl full of soup. "You are probably hungry, and the warmth will do you good." I nodded, sitting up slowly, when I suddenly let out a gasp. It felt as if I had been struck by lightening, my outer thighs tingling painfully.

The woman handed me the bowl, smiling assuredly. "You'll be fine, that's just the pain of healing."

I took the stew, cradling it between my hands. I had so many questions, my biggest being, did you tell them? My heart felt as if it would explode from my ribcage, and dance out of the room. "What's your name?" I asked quietly, taking a sip of the warm broth.

"Sango and I have a few questions for you." She got up, walking to a small pile of things in the corner of the room. Picking something up, she walked back over, showing me the skull of the bull-monster I had killed. "How did you kill it?"

I shook me head, unable to answer. That feeling of power was long gone, but it left my body feeling weak and bruised. "I do not know, I'm sorry." I looked at the floating radishes in my stew; hoping one of them would have the answer.

"I see." She studied me for a moment, dark brown eyes peering at me, but she finally looked away, setting the skull to the side. "I have another question for you, then."

I gulped, I knew exactly what it was, 'why are you in the army, you are a girl!' I braced my self for the possible realization that she might have told Lord Sesshomaru. I could just imagine the look of disgust on my yokai lord's face…

"Why are you running away?"

I was a bit surprised, but I also felt relieved. "I'm in hiding because of my family… I would rather not discuss the details, I'm sorry Sango."

The taijiya watched me for a moment, assessing my statement slowly, and then nodded. "All right, but you must realize that you cannot hide in the Army for ever, especially when you start to grow more."

I nodded, feeling sullen, as if I had been chastised. "Yes, I know. Thank you for not telling anyone."

Sango smiled, resting a hand on my shoulder. "I would never dream of it, what do you call your self in the army?"

"Kai." I whispered softly, my throat clenching.

"Well, you have a visitor Kai." She winked at me, and stood, walking to a door behind me. "Miroku! Kai's awake; you can come see him now."

I heard loud, running footsteps, and my friend launched into the room. "Kai! You are all right! Thank Kami! After what had happened I had thought you had died!" He sat down next to me, letting out a sigh. "After I saw Irumo come back to camp, alone, I knew something was amiss. Luckily Sango found you before you got attacked by another youkai."

I frowned, that thing was a youkai?! But how! Lord Sesshomaru and Inuyasha were yokai… But they were so human and intelligent. My confusion must of shown on my face, because Miroku coughed, looking over to Sango who was readying another bowl of soup for my commander.

Sango sat down on my other side, handing Miroku the bowl in the process. "Gheez, don't they teach you anything in the Army anymore?" Sango sighed, putting her hands on her knees, her legs folded underneath her. "There are different kinds of Youkai, some being intelligent and able to make conscious decisions, like your Lord Sesshomaru for example. Then there are others that are animal-like, but they mean humans no ill-will, like Kirara." She hugged the tiny cat from before to her chest. "But there are others still that want to hurt, to even eat humans, and that's the kind that you fought, and ultimately slew."

I nodded, it made sense, I guess. Humans were the same way; some were evil, and some were good, it was as simple as that. I watched the two for a moment, before letting out a yawn, holding the furs to my chest to hide my nakedness even more.

Miroku was watching me, and it gave me an odd feeling. What was he staring at? Did he finally realize that our friendship was based solely on lies, or was he contemplating something else? Sango noticed Miroku's gaze too, and quickly tried to get his attention away from me. "A-Anyways Miroku, isn't Kai here going to get a special bow made from him?"

Miroku nodded, turning back to Sango. "Yes, and because he slew that yokai, perhaps you could use the skull of it in making it?"

The taijiya nodded, lightly rubbing her knee. "Yes, that would be a good idea, but there's not enough bone to make an entire bow, so the bone would only be good for the core of the bow."

I nodded, "that seems fine, thank you." I smiled a bit sheepishly, and stared down at the burgundy fur covering me. It was embarrassing getting such a fine reward, because of what I heard of the youkai slayer's weapon smiths, they made the best weapons in Japan.

"Then it's settled." Miroku stood, shifting his kantana at his side. He took a few steps towards the door, and then stopped. "Oh, before I forget, Kai. Lord Sesshomaru would like to talk to you when you feel better."

I felt a blush coming on, and I nodded, quickly hiding my face. "Okay, I'll talk to him later tonight." Miroku nodded, and left, shutting the heavy wooden door behind him.

I was truly embarrassed, the amazing gift and now a talk with Sesshomaru! I felt like I was simply going to die. I pressed my darkening face harder against the furs, and I could not help but hear a giggle come from Sango. I quickly looked up, "what's so funny?!"

She smirked, staring at me. "You! You're obviously in love with Lord Sesshomaru."

I felt my face redden even more, and I quickly shook my head. "No! That's not true at all!"

"It isn't?" She asked, the smirk still playing across her pink lips.

"Well… Err…" I could not come up with an excuse, and I simply let out an exasperated sigh. "You're right…"

Sango let out another laugh, and stood, "I'll get you some clothes to wear then, I imagine Lord Sesshomaru will want to talk to you as quickly as possible."

I scowled at Sango, annoyed by how she was amused at my own insecurities. "Fine."

xxxxxxxxx

As I got dressed for my meeting, I quietly recounted these last few weeks. My wounds from my meeting with the youkai in the Palace had long since healed, but I had four symmetrical scars running down from my shoulder blades to hips. Now, it seemed like, I would have similar scars on my things as well. My body was being mutilated without my consent, and I could not help but wonder if I would ever be beautiful. But, getting scars would come with my new life.

I sat down next to the fire in my temporary room, thinking about how I had always longed to look like Kikyo. It seemed like such a distant time ago, when I looked up to, but hated, my sister. Pulling on large, thick tami, I let out another sigh. 'At this point, I would be happy with looking plain, I don't need anymore scars.' Suddenly, I frowned. Did Sesshomaru have any scars? I could hardly imagine him retaining such ugly marks on his godly body… However, he was a leading officer in his Territory's army, and had battle experience.

I slipped on a pair of geta; not needing to worry about frostbite, for the taijiya compound was entirely indoors. I pushed open the door, shutting it quietly behind me. I reasoned with myself as I walked down the hallway, my thick ponytail hitting my back with each step. Perhaps I was looking into it too much.

Stopping in front of a large door, I braced my self, and pushed the large obstruction inward, stepping into the warm light of another fire. I nearly had a heart attack, for, sitting just barely four feet away, was none other then Lord Sesshomaru. Legs shaking, I stepped forward, the door swinging shut behind me. "Good… Good Evening Lord Sesshomaru." I shivered, looking down at my feet.

"Come, have a seat." I looked up; watching as Sesshomaru delicately motioned to a cushion in front of him. I nodded, and walked forward, slowly sitting down. I had to sit awkwardly, with my legs in front of me, my legs still aching from the pain of my fight.

I stared down at my knees, not daring to look up at the pair of honey eyes staring at me. I was almost certain that he could hear my heart beating madly, and the blush rising on my cheeks.

"I received an interesting report that you slew a yokai." Lord Sesshomaru said quietly. "Is it true that you killed it on your own?" I nodded quickly, continuing to keep my vision downward.

Lord Sesshomaru simply nodded, and watched me intently. "And how did you manage to do that?"

I shook my head, "I… I do not know. All I know is that I felt power somewhere inside me and a bright light on my arrow. Then… The youkai just evaporated."

"Can you describe this light?"

I frowned, and then nodded again. "Ye… Yes, it was bright, but light pink in color."

After I said this, silence greeted me, and I slowly looked up, seeing that Lord Sesshomaru was watching me closely. "Lord Sesshomaru?" I asked pensively, wondering what I had done wrong.

He did not reply to my pleas, but moved forward, taking my right hand in his own. He traced a delicate claw down the center of my palm, peering at it intently. "I have felt this hand before…" I could have died, again. I thought I had planned everything so perfectly, but it seemed as if my goals were suddenly crumbling around me. Nevertheless… I did not care.

He drew closer, his hand trailing up my arm to my cheek, gently cupping it in his firm hand. "Why are you here? I thought you would be safe…" His thumb ran over my lower lip, and he drew closer. I could only stare into were those beautiful, golden eyes.

"L-Lord Sesshomaru…" I managed to squeak out.

Sesshomaru brought his other hand to my knee, and he brought his head closer, a feeling showing in his normal, neutral façade that I had never seen before. "You shouldn't of come, Kago-"

"LORD SESSHOMARU!" The door banged open, and Sesshomaru quickly drew back, staring as a creature flew across the landing to bow at his feet. I was confused, mostly from Sesshomaru's reaction, but also from the strange thing cowering at Sesshomaru's feet. "Lord Sesshomaru forgive me! I was caught in a storm… And… And…"

It started to babble, and Sesshomaru drew the creature up by the back of its haori. "Be still, Jaken." The thing immediately quieted, and I noticed it had putrid green colored skin, and yellow, urine-colored eyes.

"I came to warn you that a large fleet of Continent ships are days away! I flew here with Ah-Un." Sesshomaru nodded, and dropped the toad to the ground. Standing with authority, he looked down at me for a moment, a glimmer of emotion showing through his eyes, before he went out the door.


	12. Chapter 12

I sat in a stunned silence, my hand slowly going up to touch my cheek. 'He knew… He knew this entire time.' I shut my eyes quickly, hoping to break free from the sense of dread starting in my stomach. I stood my body acting on his own. I felt now, if I did not catch up to him, I would lose Sesshomaru forever.

I ran, following the sounds of raised voices, most of which were humans. I could hear Sesshomaru's' silky voice, void of emotion as he issued out orders. I shivered… Was that really the man, just moments ago? Panting, I pushed open the door in front of me, stepping into the freezing cold. The wind bit through my tunic and pants, my body starting to shimmer. "LORD SESSHOMARU!"

My voice was muffled, against the snow and the wind, but I stumbled forward, preserving. I was not going to let him get away… Not again. My breath grew quick and shallow, my body starting to slowly loose feeling. "LORD SESSHOMARU!" I screamed again, my sore throat starting to ache. "L-Lord… Sesshomaru." I stumbled forward again, murky shadows in my vision.

I managed to grab something with my hands, a bit confused; the skin was scaly and hot to the touch, my fingers blistering painfully because of the temperature different. I quickly went around it, and found that it was a two-headed dragon, a small plaque on either head. "Ah." I whispered out, peering at one head. I then looked to the other, "Un." I nearly wept with relief. "Ah-Un."

This was Sesshomaru's dragon, if… If I could manage, just to pull my self around it again. Moving around, I braced my self against a blast of wind from the north, my body starting to go into shock. I could not shake the feeling that if I left him now, he would be gone forever.

"LORD SESSHOMARU!" I screamed out again, my voice cracking at the last syllable of his name. Struggling against the wind, I grabbed something on Ah-Un's back and saddle area, it was white and fluffy. Shuddering, I grabbed on to it, my hands shaking so much that I was almost certain I would tear the fluffy apart. I felt my body start to shut down from the lack of the warmth, but suddenly, I was in warm, strong arms, being lifted into the sky. "Lord Sesshomaru…" I resigned to the happy fate of being in his arms, warm and content.

xxxxxxx

Warm hands stroked my face, and I slowly opened my eyes. I was confused, just for a moment, when I suddenly realized it was none other then Lord Sesshomaru! Blushing, I sat up slowly, noticing my surroundings had changed dramatically. We were in a dark forest, the creature called Ah-Un sleeping contently behind us, Lord Sesshomaru leaning against it. "I am glad to see you have awakened."

I simply nodded, looking down at my thighs. I noticed my legs did not hurt anymore, and it seemed as if someone had rebound my fresh wounds. 'Could… He have...?' I blushed even more at the thought of Lord Sesshomaru seeing my nude, if partially. "Kagome." His hand moved down my face, resting on my shoulder. "Why did you join?"

I did not want to answer and a bit my lower lip for a moment. Slowly, I looked up at his golden gaze, "how long have you known?"

"The day we left from your Palace." Sesshomaru replied, leaning down to gently press his nose in my part, taking a deep inhale of my scent.

My stomach fell. He had known for that long. "But… How?"

"Yokai have enhanced smell and sight, among other things. InuYasha and I have known because you have a distinct smell."

I nodded, my hand going over his. "Then… You know what I feel?"

It was Sesshomaru's turn to nod, and he gently pressed his pale lips against my forehead. "Yes, I do. However, Kagome… You are barely sixteen. Almost a babe in comparison to my age."

I was a bit annoyed at this comment, but it strengthened by resolve. "I know… But this is how I feel, and I know this is what Kami wanted." I whispered, my hands gently taking his hand from my waist to press it against my cheek again.

"I see." Sesshomaru watched me intently; his golden eyes making me feel dizzy. "What you did was stupid, Kagome."

"I know."

"And dangerous."

"I know."

"Will you tell me why you hid in the army, then?" Sesshomaru asked quietly, his mouth going to brush the shell of my ear gently. HE was being so affectionate, but I had yet to hear his emotions,

I shivered, and after a moment complied. "Yes… My Father is under the influence of Naraku, the Seer you saw before. Father believes that I am a bad influence to Kikyo in someway, and he was going to banish me to the Northern Border."

I could see Sesshomaru's jaw clench, and he rested his head on top of mine. "How could he be so short sighted? Kagome… I do not mean to offend, but Kikyo hardly seems like a ruler to me."

I could not help but smile; at least I had one other person who believed Father had made a bad decision. I did not necessarily want to be the line to the throne, but Father should have appointed my cousin as his heir. "I have to agree… She is most shallow." After our brief talk, we sat quietly for an hour or more, simply conversing with gentle touches and glances. I soon felt tired, and I ended up dozing off against Sesshomaru's chest.

xxxxxxxx

I awoke some time later, an hour or so before dawn. I was wrapped in the large, white, fluffy object from before, and next to Ah-Un, who seemed to be purring. I smiled, gently running a hand over the dragons' green and gray scales.

I sat up after a moment, clutching the fluffy around my body tightly. 'Where'd he go?' I frowned slightly, looking around, but resigned to the fact that I would not be able to find him again.

Leaning against Ah-Un, I looked up at the millions of stars. 'Oh… Sesshomaru…' I could not help but smile at the strange events that preceded this encounter. Letting out a yawn, I smiled sleepily.

"Good morning, Kagome." Whispered a familiar voice.

I looked in front of me, smiling to see the youkai lord standing in front of me. "Good morning." I watched him for a moment, "what's going to happen now?" I whispered, my eyes following him as he moved next to me, an arm going around to my waist.

"I must go to the Continent, Kagome." He brought me to his chest, his wiry arms wrapping around my shoulders.

"I will go with you." I replied instantly, my hands go to clutch his dark blue haori gently.

"No, Kagome, you must stay here." I felt his warm lips kiss the top of my head, forehead, and then cheeks. "It is too dangerous."

"But Lord Sesshomaru…" I felt my heart start to sink again. I did not want to be separated.

"It will only be for a few days, I'll take you to Miramesha with me." He replied, his hands settling around my small frame again. "I want you to stay with InuYasha, he is the only one other than my self I would trust to protect you."

I nodded slowly, and turned my face up to Lord Sesshomaru. "Sesshomaru, I must ask…"

"What is it Kagome?"

"Do you love me?"

I could see a grin start to crack his stoic face, and he let it pass with a soft chuckle. "Yes. I have felt a certain connection with you, Kagome, and as I watched you grow over these past weeks, I understood why it was created."

I was a bit confused, "are you saying, then, that you felt this way all along?"

I watched as his silvery dresses shifted in a slight nod. "Yes, even though you are young, my own soul felt a yearning to be attached to yours."

"I am glad that you understand the way I feel then." I replied, my hands gently running over his. "When do we have to leave?" I asked, biting my lower lip gently, feeling somewhat bitter at how little time we had together.

"Not for another hour, come now, do not look so glum." His head moved down, and suddenly his soft lips were brushing against my own, his hands going to my back. I returned the kiss, gently, unsure of what to do. A yearning grew inside of me, to be as complete with this yokai as possible, and it was a yearning I did not understand. I moved myself, sitting in his lap, my legs tucked to one side. His hands gently moved the encumbering white, fluffy fur away from my body, his large, warm hands going to my lower back.

We sat like that, for what seemed to be hours. Kissing and touching in fleeting motions, the need for words disappearing once again. I was in a state of bliss, my mind boggling over the past two days, but most of all, this admission of love from the one I desired the most. It seemed as if my life was finally looking bright.


	13. Chapter 13

I clung to Sesshomaru as we waited outside of Lord Inuyasha's chambers, he was currently in a war meeting, or something of a similar nature, and we did not want to disturb him. Unfortunately, we were getting enough stares on our own, especially when Sesshomaru would run his hand through my hair. I suppose everyone still thought I was a boy; Sesshomaru would have an interesting time of explaining this to the human men. He did not seem to care- after all, he was a yokai lord. Who were they to question his partner choices?

Finally, the meeting let out, and I watched as the old, solemn generals walked slowly out of Inuyasha's room. It made me feel light hearted that I would not have to spend every waking moment pretending that I was the opposite sex, but it also was daunting, what if I was caught. What if I angered Inuyasha? Would he send me back? Gulping, we walked into the room a few minutes after the last general had departed, giving Inuyasha enough time to compose him self from a bad meeting.

"Hello, brother." Sesshomaru replied cordially, his head tilting, just barely, in acknowledgement.

Inuyasha returned the gesture, his bright, golden eyes focused on the map beneath him. "Amazing, truly amazing…"

"What is?" I piped up, suddenly curious, but I wished I had not, because Inuyasha gave me an annoyed look.

"Nothing that would concern you, human." His cold reply, his clawed hand tensing on the wooden table in front of him.

"Brother." This time, the word was spoken with a stern tone, power pressing behind it. Inuyasha turned his gaze towards Sesshomaru, the two having a silent showdown.

Reluctantly, Inuyasha quailed and returned his gaze to me, his eyes becoming as unemotional as Sesshomaru once used to be. "I suppose you want me to look out for your new plaything," he replied quietly, his hand going to rest on his knees.

"I am not a plaything!" I replied indigently, glaring at InuYasha in turn.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes!" Hands balling into fists, I huffed quietly, "my relationship with Lord Sesshomaru is none of your concern!"

"Oh… But it is Kagome." Came the soft, silky voice of my lord.

I frowned, and looked up to him. "Why?"

Inuyasha let out a barking laugh, standing swiftly. "I'll tell you why. First, our Father, Inu-Taisho, Taiyoukai of the Western Lands, would never, ever want Sesshomaru to mate with a human, because you two would produce a hanyou, someone like me. Second, you smell bad."

I could only stare at the raging lord in front of me, I did not really understand what he had said about hanyous and his father, but I understood the insult. "I smell bad!? Well! Excuse me for not having the keen nose of a dog! Baka!"

"Baka!? I'm not the one cavorting around with someone nearly ten times my age, little human!" Inuyasha replied, pointing an accusing finger at me.

"Dog! Baka!"

"Little girl!"

"Baka!" 

"Smelly!"

"_Quiet!_" Inuyasha and I stopped, I nearly jumping out of my skin. I turned to look at Sesshomaru, who seemed mildly annoyed, but also partially amused with our antics. "I see you two shall get along quite nicely."

"Me? With you're little human plaything!" Lord Inuyasha crossed his arms, his red robe reflecting his mood.

Sesshomaru sighed, rubbing his temple gently. "Brother… Brother, please. I have never burdened you with anything; please do this as a favor for me."

Inuyasha remained quietly for a moment, as if debating this idea. I nearly giggled, seeing his dog-ears droop down slightly, Inuyasha had given up. "Fine, I'll watch her. How long will you be gone?" The hanyou asked, his composure returning slowly, but I could still tell he was angry because his ears kept twitching.

"I shall be gone three days, a week at the most." Sesshomaru replied.

"I assume you shall be taking Ah-Un?"

"Yes, along with Jaken."

"Who will I hit then?" Inuyasha replied, sarcasm slicing through his voice.

Sesshomaru scowled, "you should not hit my retainer, only I may do that, you should get one of your own."

"One of my own gami-minions? No thanks, I would rather have a harem." Inuyasha sat down slowly, a soft 'oomph' coming from him. "You must leave now?" I was surprised at how open the brothers were with each other. At least their relationship was somewhat warm.

My Lord nodded, and he turned to me, leaning down to give me a gentle hug. "Be safe, Kagome. Inuyasha may sound stupid, but he's very noble, and I know he would never let anything happen to you." Sesshomaru emphasized those last words by sending a dagger-like gaze at Inuyasha, who scowled in return.

"Thank you." I smiled, letting go of him gently, "I shall see you in a few days, hence from now?" Sesshomaru nodded, his hand gently going through my hair for a moment, a sad look breaking through his mask, before he turned, and quickly left. I stood for a moment, wondering why he had seemed so morose so suddenly…

xxxxxxx

The first day without Sesshomaru was horrible. I had not realized how much I had depended on his very essence; it was as if my soul had been reaching out to him, and when his responded, I was content.

Nevertheless, I had never felt happier in my life either, and for the first few hours of my stay in the Miramesha, and I was not able to go out and explore the surrounding city, with the potential that I could be recognized. For almost the entire day, I was stuck in my sleeping quarters.

Sighing, I stared up at the ceiling above me, the stones not doing much to hold the cold away. My body was still sore from my encounter with the fused youkai-monster thing, and I wondered how Sango and Miroku were doing. Perhaps they were on their way now… However, should I tell Miroku? I frowned, finding the idea of deceiving my friend rather troubling, but also telling him of my actually gender as equally troubling. I was not sure how to go about any of my problems, and it made me feel incompetent.

'I wonder if Kikyo or even Father is worried about me…' I let this tiny thought glimmer through my mind, and it made me heart heavy. I still felt remorse for leaving the way I did, but being sent to the North was not an option. 'I hope Kikyo is all right.' Even though I detested my sister some times, I also worried about her. Letting out a long, heavy sigh, I fell back onto the tatami mats, staring up at the wood ceiling. 'I cannot really do anything about it though, I cannot even leave me own room.' After a moment of contemplating the boards above me for the tenth time today, I started to drift off, and soon I was fast asleep, curled around a large pillow.

xxxxxxxxx

"_It's really too bad, Emperor Takashi." Came the cool reply of Natsuko, her fingers gently rubbing my Father's sore and tired muscles._

"_I had always thought that Princess Kagome was more responsible than this… But to think she would run away…" Emperor Takashi replied, turning around to gently kiss at his concubine's fingertips._

"_She was the second twin, you know." Natsuko purred, her kimono starting to slid back to show her nude form._

"_Yes, that's true… But to think she ran off with that yokai lord, I had no idea that she would commit such treason." The Emperor replied, his hands running down the front of the concubine._

"_I doubt that Princess Kagome knows how horrible they are or that they are monsters…"_

"_Yes… I agree."_

xxxxxxx

I woke with a start, confused and afraid. What had I just seen, was it a premonition? Frowning, I rubbed my face. I was covered in sweat and I felt sore all over, as if I had gone through an entire day of training with Miroku.

I walked over to the covered archery window, pulling back the wooden paneling. It was the middle of night. I missed Sesshomaru desperately already, and I wondered how long it would take him to return. Staring up at the moon, which was hidden by dark clouds, I felt remorse start in my stomach. I saw how my Father and how Natsuko truly perceived the yokai. I was probably the only human who accepted Sesshomaru or wanted to be with him in an intimate fashion. I had isolated myself with my choice, but I would not take it back for all of the jewels in the world.


	14. Chapter 14

Three days. That was exactly how long Sesshomaru had been fighting. As soon as he had stepped foot onto the Continent, he had been under attack. The yokai lord was surprised. The natives of the Continent and immediately attacked him, and it appeared that they had no fear of his yokai aura or appearance.

At first, he thought they were dumb.

After the first day, he thought them loyal to their commanding officers.

After the third day, he realized they were possessed. It was impossible for humans to attack him this continually without a break for sleep or food. The humans did not smell dead, but he also could not tell what was controlling them.

Letting out a growl of rage, Sesshomaru ripped through another wave of the men, Tokijin's power waning slightly with continual use. Even Sesshomaru was feeling the burden of this battle, and he started to look for a way to escape, or at least make them stop attacking for a few moments.

Taking a breath, he swung Tokijin in a large arc, but did not release the demonic power trapped inside of it. Following his first attack with a swing from Tensiega, Sesshomaru watched as the men slowly fell to the ground, their bodies twitching slight. Apparently, attacking them to weaken their defenses then releasing Tensiega freed the men from being possessed. After figuring out his strategy, Sesshomaru quickly streaked through the lines of the men, attacking with both swords as rapidly as possible. The men slowly started to tumble down behind him, like dominos, and he knew his strategy was working.

It took Sesshomaru two more hours to stop the soldiers. What was left of his squad was huddled in a circle, some of the men badly wounded, while others passed out from fatigue. The Lord had been unable to find his elite squad; four other inu-youkai of lesser or equal strength to him self. That worried him.

"Lord Sesshomaru, what will be our next move?" Asked one of the soldiers, a large bandage wrapped around his head and over his left eye.

"You and the remainder of the men will retreat back to the boats for medical care and rest. I will have to go on ahead alone." The silver-haired inu replied, rubbing his stiff right shoulder with his left hand. There were some protests but they were stopped. He was their commander, his word was law.

"Understood, sir. Men, let's move out." The other soldiers groaned as they rose to their feet, the majority of them limping or leaning on each other. "Do you want us to send a message to General Inuyasha?" Another soldier asked his left arm in a sling.

"Yes." Sesshomaru chewed on his lower lip for a moment, thinking of a message that was simple, short, and in code. "Tell him that he will have to retrieve Semimaru."

The soldier was confused, but nodded quickly, "understood sir. I will send that on message on as quickly as possible."

"Good." Without so much as a goodbye, Sesshomaru was off, becoming a white and black blur.

"I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE!" Furiously tearing apart my small room, I let out an annoyed yell. "I need to see the outside! I want to go to the hot spring! I EVEN WANT TO TRAIN!" Yelling out my anxieties to the uncaring walls of my room I sat down heavily, nearly ready to start crying. Sesshomaru had been gone for four days, but it felt like four years! Flinging my futon cover across the wall, I let out another annoyed scream, flopping onto my back. 'I'll run away! I will join another army! I will… I'll…' Thinking ludicrous thoughts to my self, I was startled as something red barreled through my door.

"Would you shut-up all ready? You're so freakin' loud!" Inuyasha was staring down at me, his dog ears plastered flat on his skull. "I'm trying to plan a war strategy but I can barely hear my self think with you yelling!" he was hardly acting like a refined lord.

"Then let me out of here! I need to see the sky!"

"Will that shut you up?" The General asked, his golden eyes narrowed.

"Yes! I want to have a bath! I want to do something that's not in this room!" I replied with a scream, my hands slapping the futon underneath me.

Sighing in defeat, InuYasha slowly nodded, rubbing his temple gently. "There's a human festival or something going on now in the town part of Miramesha, would that be enough?"

I gasped, quickly sitting up. "Oh yes! I love festivals; do you know which one it is?"

Inuyasha scowled, "of course not! I don't pay attention to your weird human customs!"

'Weird… You're one to talk; at least I don't have dog-ears.' I thought to my self, and I quickly stood, pulling on a light hakama and then thick tami and soldier geta. I continued to disguise my self as a boy, even without my Quarter around, it seemed like the best idea. "I will have to go with you, on account of the promise I made Sesshomaru…" Inuyasha did not seem too happy about this.

"Let's go then!" Grabbing his hand, I practically dragged the yokai lord out of the military fort, through the soldier's barracks and the first gates, and out into the city streets.

Gasping happily, I looked around as I realized it was the Autumn Festival! The Autumn Festival meant it was my birthday! Laughing exuberantly, I ran towards the nearest stand, peering at trinkets and other assortments of goods. "What are you so happy about?" InuYasha asked after catching up to me, his hands tucked into his red kimono sleeves.

"I'm sixteen now! The Autumn Festival was the time I was born!"

"Really?" InuYasha seemed surprised for a moment, but then turned his attention to a koi-fish catching booth. "What's that?" He asked with a frown, tilting his head in the booth's direction.

"That's koi catching! Come on, it's a lot of fun!" I pulled InuYasha to the booth, a grin spreading across my face.

We spent the next five hours running about through out the festival, me explaining most of the customs and games to InuYasha, who had never been to a festival before. Inuyasha seemed to enjoy my company and explanations, even if he was a bit gruff.

As the day waned, many people started to close their shops, people anticipating the up coming fire works show. "Having you ever seen fireworks, Lord Inuyasha?" I asked quietly, watching as men ran back and forth between the booths and the launch site, getting ready with fireworks.

"No, what are they?" He asked after a moment, taking a large bite of his fried squid.

"It's like colored fire in the sky, it's really pretty. I saw it twice before, when I was much younger. I remember the time so well because I was with my mother." I smiled happily at the fond memories, lacing my hands together in front of me.

"Where's you're mother now?" Inuyasha asked after a moment, finishing off his squid.

"She died, about ten years ago." I said quietly, sighing softly.

"My mother's dead too." InuYasha replied in the same tone, tossing the stick to the side.

I frowned, I had wanted to ask Inuyasha something for a while now, but I had not found the right words yet. Deciding to ask anyway, no matter how weird, I looked over at him. "Lord Inuyasha, what's a hanyo?"

Inuyasha smiled slightly, a hand reaching up to scratch behind his left ear. "I knew you would ask eventually. A hanyo is simply a half-yokai and half-human being. I am a hanyo."

"So you're mother was a human?"

"Yes, she died about fifty years ago." He replied nonchalantly, staring off into the distance.

I was a bit surprised; Inuyasha was over fifty years old then! "Then… How long do yokai live?" I asked slowly, eyeing him.

"I am currently sixty-seven years old. Sesshomaru… Well…" Inuyasha smirked. "He's 143 years old. I don't know how old my Father is, but he's at least 400."

I stood there, flabbergasted. I had no idea that Yokai could live that long! Sesshomaru had already lived the equivalent of two human life times, yet he was so handsome and seemed so full of life. "Wow…"

"Wow barely expresses it." InuYasha said, smirking slightly. "Sesshomaru may be old to you, but if he were a human he would be eighteen to nineteen years old, while I would be sixteen or seventeen."

I nodded slowly, rubbing my chin gently. "Yokai are confusing."

InuYasha snorted, "hardly. Humans are the confusing ones, why in the world do you have a festival for fall?"

"Because we can."

"That's not a reason."

"Yes it is."

"No it is not."

"Yes it is!"

"No it isn't!"

"Arg! Baka!"

"Smelly!"

"Shut-up!" I scowled at him for a moment, he was wearing the same expression as me, but suddenly we both started to laugh. "Fine, we're both weird in each others eyes."

"That's true." Inuyasha replied, sticking his tongue out at me.

"Oh! The fireworks are starting!" I grinned, and tugged at his sleeve, pointing up at the darkened sky.

Blazes of color splashed across the sky, and InuYasha and I watched the spectacle. This year the people running the show were still getting used to the idea of fireworks, and they only did simple patterns, but they were still pretty and they entertained Inuyasha and me for a while. As we walked back to the fort, Inuyasha and I chatted quietly about the differences between human and yokai. We decided the biggest difference was age and appearance. It was true, all most all humans looked the same, but youkai were different, and all were beautiful.

Inuyasha looked up suddenly, his dog-ears alert. Suddenly, a large hawk-messenger came careening into view, landing on one of the towers in the court. Inuyasha immediately recognized it; the white cloth around its left claw meaning it was a message from Lord Sesshomaru. "I have pressing matter to attend to, see you tomorrow Lady Kagome." He quickly bowed politely, and was gone from me in a flash, using amazing speed to jump across rooftops and over walls. Frowning, I was a bit worried, my mood happy from my day. Besides, one should never get bad news on one's birthday, right?


	15. Chapter 15

Naraku smirked, running his hand through his long tresses. Everything was going according to plan; the Emperor was as ignorant of his schemes as ever. Sesshomaru and Kagome were separated, and he had a faithful bitch to rut with. Life was looking good.

Letting out a long sigh, the fake Seer moved about his caverns, thinking over his next move. His best bet would be to eliminate Kagome and the annoying General hanyo, Inuyasha. The problem was a rumor going around that Inuyasha's power even rivaled his brother's, or exceeded it.

Frowning at the thought of a hanyou being able to command so much demonic energy, Naraku chewed on his left thumb lightly, his dark eyes flickering with red in the candle light. He would have to leave and take care of the hanyou him self, Kagura and Kanna would be no match for him, and Hakudoshi had his hands full on the Continent.

Going to a large red chest, Naraku pulled out a bronze key from around his neck, unlocking it. Inside were at least five pre-made youkai puppets, another specialty of his. Even Natsuko would not be able to tell the difference if she came looking for him while he was away.

Smirking slightly, he sliced open his left thumb with a small, bronze knife, rubbing it down the center of the wooden puppet, letting three drops of blood fall down the center hole. This one should last long enough; he would only be gone for a couple of weeks at the most. Naraku pulled out three strands of his hair, wrapping it around the midriff of the puppet. After a few seconds of waiting, the puppet slowly started to transform from wood to replica of him self.

It was always unsettling staring into the eye of someone identical as him, but Naraku had gotten used to it over the years. He had preformed this at least eleven times since obtaining the position of Seer some sixteen years ago, and a small scar had formed along his left thumb. If these human idiots had known anything of magic or the art of puppetry, they would have immediately recognized the scar and what it meant. However, like many humans, they ignored what they could not under stand, or did not care about. "And thus," Naraku whispered quietly to him self as his clone started to get dressed. "The plan is in motion."

xxxxxx

Kanna sat quietly, her black eyes staring off into space. Her duty was simple, stand watch in the forest surrounding the Moon Palace. Kagura had easily infiltrated the castle as a house cleaner, most of the servant's hanyos or lesser yokai. The Taiyokai had found it particularly interesting that Kagura could control wind, considering most of the wind youkai had been destroyed in the Great War.

Watching quietly, Kanna felt something stir inside of her. What was it, remorse? The tiny girl frowned, one of the few facial expressions she ever showed. Her shriveled heart felt confused, her subconscious told her what she was doing was wrong, but as Naraku's subordinate, and younger sister, she had to do as she was told.

"Why do you have such a serious face, Kanna?" A familiar voice said, and Kanna immediately let her impassive mask fall.

"It is nothing, Naraku."

"And how goes the infiltration into the Moon Palace?"

"It is slow, the Taiyokai Inu-Taisho is especially cunning, and knows that Kagura is not a normal hanyou, but he has not yet found that she works for you." Kanna replied quietly, spinning her mirror gently in her white hands.

"That is good, contact Kagura and tell her to leave the Palace. We must move." Naraku replied, his voice cold and distant and he disappeared into the shadows again.

"Understood, Naraku. I will tell her right away." Kanna stated to no one.

xxxxxxx

Naraku moved quickly, feeling extremely content. Everything was coming together; all he had to do now was to eliminate the girl Kagome and the two inu brothers. He had been watching her and Kikyo for some time now, gauging which one would hold the soul of Midoriko, and he had guessed right.

Kagome appeared to be Midoriko's incarnation, that fateful soul finally resurfacing after a hundred years of being in the great chaos of the after life. He need to be quick in his elimination; if Kagome were to gain control of the powers that lay dormant in her, she would be the biggest threat to his plans. 'But… She doesn't even know that she's the official reincarnation, let alone that she has power…' Naraku thought, landing on a branch and stopped for a short moment. 'InuYasha is protecting her though… This could become trouble some.' Scowling at the thought of the inu-hanyou's possible interference, Naraku realized he would have to plan his attack carefully. It was times like this he was glad for his other ability; mimicry. Grinning at the idea of tormenting his enemies, Naraku started to move again, chuckling softly to him self the entire way to Miramesha.

xxxxxxx

"Good morning! Would you like to enlist to day?" A taskmaster asked the soldier in front of him. It was the day after the Autumn Festival. Apparently, something had happened in the night, and reports came back of entire battalions being destroyed on the Continent. Therefore, the taskmaster was happy to see a large group of men in front of him willing to begin lives as military men. The second force from Emperor Takashi's army had yet to reach Miramesha; they were traveling all the way from Kyoto.

"Yes, I would." One man said quickly, stepping forward.

The taskmaster nodded, and pulled his sleeve back, holding his brush above an inkwell. The man in front of him appeared to be strapping and in fit condition, and he even had a kantana strapped to his back, showing he had some experience. "You're name?"

"Juei Mito." The man replied, a small creeping across his face as well.

The taskmaster looked up, "an unusual name there, Mito."

Juei nodded, and he smiled again, a hint of red glittering in his eyes. "Indeed it is, Task Master, but everything is a bit strange these days, isn't it?"

The taskmaster nodded, but could not help as a shudder went up his spine. Something about his eyes made his human mind quail, but he quickly shook it off. "All right then, age?"


	16. Chapter 16

I took a deep breath, fidgeting on the futon. Inuyasha had been meeting with the generals all day, and I had been dieing to know what Sesshomaru's letter said. I felt as if the entire world was pressing down on my shoulders, and I would suffocate if I did not find out soon. Finally, the last man left Inuyasha's meeting room. I stood, pushing past the melancholy looking generals, quickly sitting down in front of InuYasha. "What's happened?" I asked, my hands gripped into balls. I could tell the news he received was far from good.

The hanyo looked tired and annoyed the later more common then the first. "There's a problem on the Continent, apparently there in some sort of power that is controlling the Continent soldiers." Kneading his forehead gently with his knuckles, Inuyasha continued to scowl. "This not good… Not good at all."

I was a bit confused, it sounded like a bad predicament, but nothing seemed too horrible. "Why is it not good? Was there something else?" I did not really understand yokai magic or abilities, so I decided not to press that particular issue.

Inuyasha frowned for a moment, thinking hard over something. "Well… Yes, but I cannot tell you."

I scowled in return, that annoyed me, "that's not a very good answer."

"I know it isn't." Inuyasha snapped, and looked up at me, his bright golden eyes suddenly filled with exuberance. "How do you feel about taking a trip?"

"Where?" I was a bit leery and his sudden mood swing. What was he planning?

"To the Western Lands, where my Father reigns." No wonder he was happy.

My breath hitched in my throat. I had only dreamed of going to the fabled yokai lands, I had never thought it to be possible. To meet the father of the one I loved so much! To be in a foreign land! Moreover, to be able to move about freely! I started to giggle quickly, feeling happiness bubble inside of me. "Yes! Most definitely, I will go with you!" I laughed and hopped up, quickly giving Inuyasha a large hug, the hanyou stiff underneath me for a moment, but I did not care. I was so happy! "When do we leave?"

Inuyasha was a bit embarrassed, but he quickly regained his composure. "Now, preferably, but I need to tell you…

"Yes!" I laughed once again, peeling out of the room at break neck speed, not bothering to listen.

Inuyasha sat there, one hand slightly raised in an attempt to stop me. "I didn't get a chance to tell her that Miroku and some taijiya are going with us…"

xxxxxxx

"Lord Inuyasha, I'm ready to go!" I called out, setting down a light satchel in front of my self. It was a little before mid day, and I watched as the familiar yokai general appeared in his blazing red hakama and haori, two humans following behind him. "Sango, Miroku?" I was a bit surprised; I did not know that they were going along with us as well. However, it did not matter! I was as happy as ever! Laughing, I gave Sango a quick hug then Miroku, who seemed puzzled; he apparently still thought I was a boy. Coughing slightly, to give me warning to change my behavior, Sango winked at me. I in turn smiled, but quickly settled down.

Inuyasha's ears twitched slightly, as if he was listening to some far off conversation, but slowly turned towards us. "My goal is to get to the Palace in two days, Taijiya; I assume you can handle you and that soldier's transportation?"

Sango nodded, and let Kirara hop to the ground, the small cat having been in her arms the entire time. "Yes, Kirara can take us."

"How?" I asked, curious. There was no way a tiny cat like that could even lift a scroll! As if to pacify me, Kirara suddenly exploded into a ball of flame, a saber-toothed, two-tailed cat, easily weighing seven-hundred pounds stood in front of me. Retreating, I grabbed Inuyasha's sleeve, a bit surprised at the cat's sudden transformation.

Sango laughed slightly, petting Kirara gently on the head. "Don't worry, Kai, Kirara is simply in her battle form, she can fly as well."

"I see…" I replied, my eyes narrowed. I did not completely trust the cat now, what would it do, sprout wings to fly? "But how will I fly? It seems like too much to have three people on her…"

"You'll be on my back, you're the lightest of the three and it'll be faster for all of us." Inuyasha replied, and rubbed his cheek gently. "You don't look that fat."

I glared at him, and crossed my arms over my chest. "I see. I'm glad I'm not too fat for your regal shoulders."

Inuyasha returned the glare, but got down onto one knee. "Come on, we're burning day light." I complied, wrapping my arms around his neck loosely, and he brought his arms underneath my legs, holding be piggyback style.

Miroku and Sango mounted Kirara behind us, and we were off. Within the first few moments of flight, I marveled at Inuyasha's speed; how could a being run so fast and jump so high? Did Sesshomaru have the same abilities? However, after those few moments I became bored and cold. Shivering as Inuyasha jumped through the cold air, I buried my face on the back of his neck, my armor doing little to keep out the air. 'I wish I had Sesshomaru's fur…' I thought to my self, but I suddenly became sad. I was having fun, with his brother no less, and heading in the opposite direction. What would he say? Would he be mad? I frowned; I could hardly imagine Sesshomaru mad… However, I also could hardly imagine him being sad. The only emotion he had allowed me to see was his happiness and love for me. Nevertheless, I had never truly seen all of him…Scowling at the thought, I closed my eyes against the cold wind, my face becoming numb.

xxxxxx

"Kai fell asleep…" Sango remarked quietly as the group landed down for the night. They had only stopped once before for a quick lunch, the humans eating chilled cucumber and rice, while InuYasha had nothing. "But I suppose that would be true, Kai is still recovering from the wounds he received all most a week ago."

Inuyasha gently set the sleeping girl down, and he gave a tiny nod. "Yes, I stopped by here to let you and… Him have a bath, there are some especially medicinal hot springs around here." Inuyasha almost faltered with the gender.

Sango nodded, yawning softly. Kirara changed back into her tiny form, curling around Miroku's ankles as he put down his supplies. "I'll go look for firewood, Lord InuYasha, do you need to rest?" The soldier asked, rubbing his nose to warm it up.

"No, I will help you." Inuyasha seemed annoyed at the thought of "needing rest".

"My… My Lord, that really is not necessary!" Miroku quickly replied, waving his hands slightly. "You should not bother your self with such menial tasks!"

"It is quite all right Miroku, let's go." The yokai lord jumped up, quickly leaving the two women alone.

xxxxxxx

I yawned, my eyes opening slowly to see Sango peering over me. "What is it? I asked, a bit sleepy."

"We only have a small amount of time, but we should go to the hot springs. I want to take another look at your wounds, to make sure they're healing well." She offered and a hand up and I took it.

I nodded, standing slowly. "That sounds fine. Lead the way Sango."

Sango grinned, and picked up Kirara into her arms, leading me from the small clearing to a hot spring about a hundred feet away. I smelled the familiar sulfur on the air and I suddenly felt as if I had returned home. I had never been to a hot spring that was untended or outside before, only the one in the private chambers of the Royal Palace. Grinning at the possibilities of this new experience, I looked over at Sango, who had started to disrobe. "Are there monkeys in the hot springs some times?" I had heard stories from the servants about the animal's comical acts, and I wished to see it for myself.

"Some times, but usually when it's very cold." Sango pulled off her kimono, folding it slowly. Underneath she wore a black leather cat suit that had strategic pieces of light armor, made from yokai scale. She started to disrobe, hidden weapons and other objects piling up on the ground in front of her.

I turned my back to her, giving her some privacy, and I untied my armor from my shoulders, letting the heavy pieces fall to the ground. "How long have you been a taijiya, Sango?" I asked, slipping off my hakama.

"Since I was small, I used to use a large boomerang made out of youkai bone until recently. It got damaged in a battle about a month ago, and I have yet to find a piece of bone big enough to fix it." Sango stepped into the water, her dark brown hair swirling around her. "Oh! That reminds me; your bow is all most done Kagome, it should be ready in a couple of days."

I grinned, pulling off my silk covering and slipped into the hot water as well. "That's good."

Sango nodded in return, leaning against a rock covered in moss, gently swishing the murky water around her. "Yes, I know the feeling." We sat there for a few minutes simply enjoying the water. Kirara was taking a nap on the edge of the hot springs on top of Sango's clothes, and would twitch now and then whenever one of us laughed.

"Now, before it gets too late, let me take a look at your wounds." Sango said, and stood, wading over to me.

I blushed deeply, still not used to seeing another person's nude body, let alone one of a woman at least two or three years older then me. "O-okay… I think they've gotten much better."

I stood, my back turned towards her, when Sango let out a sudden gasp. "Oh my gosh! Kagome, how in the world did you get these?" I felt her hands travel down the four symmetrical scars on my back and I sighed softly.

"I got that when I was attacked at the Imperial Palace, Lord Sesshomaru saved me." I pulled my long hair to one side, gently picking at the ends of it as Sango inspected me.

"I see, so it must have been a hanyou, at least, that had miasma claws."

I was surprised to find that Sango could tell just that from the scars. "How do you know?"

"It's quite simple, scars that were tainted with poison either have a blue or purple hue about them, your scars have a thin line of indigo going down the middle." Sango said, and moved to look at my left thigh.

I scowled as I learned this, letting my hair flop back around. "Great, not only do I have scars but I'll look like a rainbow."

Sango laughed, and moved to my other thigh, "it's nothing to worry about; they actually look quite pretty, even though they were so painful."

I continued to scowl, my arms crossed over my slowly forming chest. "It's still annoying."

"Yes… Oh? What is it Kirara?" Sango asked, looking down at the tiny neko-youkai.

I looked at Kirara too, her fur was on edge and she seemed to be hissing. "What does that mean? Is there something in the woods?"

I quickly got my answer, because I heard a very loud and very angry Miroku storming through the woods. "Kai! You thieving bastard! How dare you go to the hot springs with Sango! My Sango!"

"Miroku! Calm your self!" I heard Inuyasha shout, attempting to pull the raving man back to the camp.

"Let go of me, General! I shall fight to death for Sango's honor!" Even with his yokai strength, Inuyasha was no match of Miroku's determination.

I simply blinked, and looked at Sango, who was blushing profusely and quickly sunk into the water, and I did the same.

"YOU BAKA!" Sango shouted at Miroku, "I can take a bath with who ever I want!"

"Sango! He's not listening!" Inuyasha called out, and I heard the sounds of scuffle occur along the edge of the trees. "I can't stop him! I do not want to hurt him but… OW!" I heard a dog-like whimper and suddenly Miroku came barging through the trees, swinging his kantana blindly. "Kai! Get out of there! How dare you take Sango's purity?"

'The hell…' I blinked slightly, and suddenly backed away as I realized he was coming strait towards me. "It's not like that at all! Hey! Watch where you're swinging that thing!" I moved father into the water, barely avoid the blade.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Sango quickly hit Miroku over the head, but the soldier would not be fazed by anything!

He waded into the water, ignoring Sango's indignant screams and my protests. "KAI!" He reached over, and managed to grab me by the waist, pulling me out of the water, "I WILL KILL YOU!"

"LET GO OF ME!" Blushing from embarrassment, I thrashed about, managing to elbow him in the gut. I fell forward, yelping in pain as I jarred my arrows.

"Kagome!" Sango rushed out, quickly pulling on her kimono.

"Kai!" Miroku whipped around grabbing me. He was about to slice open my stomach when he realized something was very wrong; he was gripping something soft, squishy, and curvy. Confused, he looked down, and he realized he was gripping my butt!

"LET GO OF ME YOU HENTAI!" Attempting to punch him my self, Miroku swung away, confused, staring at his right hand.

"Squishy?" He frowned, flexing his hand. He looked up, a blush suddenly ballooning on his face. I was stark naked, water dripping everywhere, and my hair was down. Not to mention my face was about as red as a tomato. Sango quickly rushed towards me, covering me with my silk shift.

"YOU BAKA!" Sango side-kicked Miroku, the man landing on his face a few feet away.

Mortified, I pulled on my armor, tying my hair into a ponytail. I started towards the man, who was baffled by my appearance. "You hentai!" I quickly smacked him, hard, across the face.

"Squishy…" Miroku kept repeating the word underneath his breath, until it dawned on him. "YOU'RE A GIRL?!"


	17. Chapter 17

"My Lord, we have received confirmative information that the native soldiers are being controlled by a foreign power." A black-haired inu replied, kneeling in front of Sesshomaru. "And that it is probably coming from a yokai that originates to Japan."

"I see," Sesshomaru, replied smoothly, his hands laced together in front of him. On the inside his heart was aching, he had been gone from Japan for almost a week and a half now; well over the time, he told Kagome he would be gone. 'How is Kagome?' He thought to him self, and he wondered if his precious human love would be safe in his brother's care.

"My Lord?" The inu asked again, apparently needing orders.

"Ah. Yes, continue with your work, but send another hawk-message, this time to the Moon Palace." Sesshomaru replied, waving the man off with his left hand.

"Understood, I shall return if I have more information." The soldier stood, quickly jogging out of the tent to follow through with his orders.

"Kagome…" Sesshomaru let the name slowly release from his lungs, and he could all most hear her happy, light laugh and could all most smell her delectable scent. All most. Scowling in annoyance at his incompetence and the fact that he was nearly a thousand miles away from Kagome, he sat back down at his desk, reading the day's stack of information that his elite squad had gathered.

xxxxxxx

"Why does Lord Sesshomaru look so down cast?" One inu-yokai asked another, sharpening his katana with a whetstone.

The other yokai, a female, could only smirk, pushing her white hair behind her shoulder, carving a set of arrows. "He misses his little human."

"Lord Sesshomaru, with a human?" The other yokai was surprised. "He's taken to a human?"

"Surprising, isn't it? His hatred for humans even surpassed that of Lord Inuyasha's, so it was shocking for all of us to find out." The female replied, sheathing her katana.

"Yes, it is, how do you think the Taiyokai will respond?"

"I'm not sure, his second wife was a human, that's how Lord Inuyasha came about, but when she died he grieved so much… Maybe he'll forbid the union." The female replied, leaning against the male lightly.

"Maybe, but if they have the bond I suspect they do… It will not be easy."

xxxxxxx

"Milord, we have received word that there is a large armada headed towards Japan." An inu spy said to an annoyed and distracted Sesshomaru, it was late into the night and the youkai was still dealing with paper work. "It is heading towards the Moon Palace; they hope to cripple us, Sir."

"How do they know of our origins?" Sesshomaru asked, fully alert now to his spy's information.

"I do not know, but at the rate they're heading, they will reach the Palace in approximately two weeks. What are your orders, sir? However, I feel I must interject in this matter."

"Go a head, soldier." Sesshomaru replied quietly, his golden eyes narrowed.

"I have a new mate and pup in the Moon Palace; I would like to request movement there. I have also found that your brother, General Inuyasha, has headed back there as well." The male quickly blurted out, his short silver hair dappled with sweat from running.

"I see…" Closing his eyes tightly for a moment, Sesshomaru took a breath. Inuyasha had gotten his message first message, but it would be too late to warn him of this new problem. "What is the state of the war here?" He needed updates!

"We have enough to defeat the remaining forces. It appears that the rebels here are attempting one last stand to stall us." The youkai replied.

Sesshomaru nodded slowly, "we shall leave then, you and the three other elite, to the Moon Palace. A large army cannot stop us. What is the size of this armada?"

"Ten-thousand strong."

xxxxxxx

"Satsuki, Reiko, Taiko, and Hitsu, it's time to leave." Sesshomaru put his two katana into the sash around his waist.

"Yes sir!" Two female and two male inu-yokai stood behind Sesshomaru, the lower halves of their faces covered with a white scarf, embroidered with an indigo crescent moon. Sesshomaru pulled out a similar scarf, wrapping one around his face as well. "Let's go."

The formation quickly set off, Sesshomaru in the lead, the other four yokai flanked behind him in a bird formation. It would only take them an hour or so to get to the coast, but getting across the water was another matter; they would either have to run across it at a very fast pace, or wait an entire day to get a ship. Obviously, the group was going to take the first action.

Sesshomaru maneuvered the group to the left, passing over a forest by jumping through the treetops. The plus side of being a yokai was obvious, they had nearly infinite stamina and strength, but it would be a challenge for any being to run across water for the length they were about to attempt. "General Sesshomaru!" The male yokai at Sesshomaru's left gave a quickly warning, the group had already reached the beach and it was high tide.

"I see it. Prepare your selves." Clouds started to form around the group as they prepared to transform partially into their true yokai forms. Suddenly, the five erupted into half inu, half-humanoid creatures, their speed and power increasing exponentially. They flew across the waves and through the water, and into the distant horizon.

Later that day, a human guard would make a report to his commander claiming he had seen ghost that transformed into monsters during the night, and they were running back across the sea because they had been killed in the war. That soldier was quickly relieved of his duty.

xxxxxxx

It was a day after Miroku's 'squishy' incident and I was still angry with him. The nerve of that man! No wonder Sango had not taken to him yet, he was a complete hentai and fool! Glaring at the back of Miroku's head as Inuyasha ran behind Kirara, I could only mutter angrily.

I had not dared to look Miroku in the eye since yesterday, and he had the same reaction towards me. Apparently he was either angry or embarrassed, or an extreme combination of the two. Scowling at the back of his head again, I pressed my face into Inuyasha's hair, shielding my self from the wind. Inuyasha had not changed his actions at all, but he seemed even more pressed to get to the Moon Palace. When I had last talked to him, early in morning, he said it would only be a matter of hours before we saw the Palace; we had already passed into yokai territory. I also found out that if Miroku, Sango, and I had attempted to travel through out his father's land without a pass or another yokai, we would have been immediately killed. I shuddered at the thought, it explained why so few humans ever talked about the yokai territory, or even knew of yokai. "Look up Kagome! You can see the spires!" Inuyasha called out, his voice catching in the wind.

I looked up, and sure enough four, pure white spires had appeared over the ridge of the hill we were just about to ascend. I gasped; it was beautiful. A huge palace rose across the hill in front of his, all of the spires pointing in one direction, either north, south, east, or west. It was made of the purest white material I had ever seen, and a large, crescent blue moon gate lay between the north and the east exit. I assumed each wall between the spires had a crescent moon gate, but only the one we were entering was open. I stared as Inuyasha slowed down, and then came to a halt all together, setting me onto the ground. Beautiful inu-yokai were walking in and out of the gate, and when they saw Inuyasha, all most all of them stopped what they were doing to kneel or bow. I had forgotten that Inuyasha was a prince, as well as a general, and he had allowed me to ride on his back all most the entire way here. Blushing ever so slightly, I followed the hanyo, Sango and Miroku quickly following in line with a normal sized Kirara. Miroku and Sango seemed as shocked as I was; who knew there was a community of yokai this big left in Japan!

As we walked through the crescent gates, my eyes fell on one beautiful face after another, and soon we were inside the courtyard. The palace it self was not a traditional Japanese style, for it appeared that the entire thing was carved out of solid marble, all of which came from the hill that gave the palace it's height.

"Wow…" I whispered this simple explanation as yokai parted ways for us, and InuYasha led us to a grand courtyard, obviously a greeting area for important people and other guests. Standing in the courtyard was one of the most formidable looking people I had ever seen. A yokai, easily six and half feet tall, with long white hair that all most reached his ankles stood there, waiting to greet us. He had armor similar to Sesshomaru's, but his robes were pure white, a simple crescent moon outlined in blue, with a white inu-dog running through it adorned his chest. I could only guess that this was the Taiyokai himself; Inu-Taisho.

"Hello, Father." Inuyasha quietly said, and kneeled in front of the man. Miroku, Sango, and I quickly followed suit, trying to be as unimposing as possible.

"I see you have returned, InuYasha." The Taiyokai replied in an equally quiet manor, except his voice had a deep power hidden within it, and it made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. "How does it fare?"

"We are winning the fight on land, Father, if marginally, and Sesshomaru has sent word to me that the people and soldiers of the Continent are being controlled. He suggested we release Semimaru." Inuyasha replied, his eyes focused on the stone floor in front of him.

"Does he? That seems extremely rash for your brother, and why do you suppose he said this warning?" Inu-Taisho replied, his dark honey eyes, so dark they were all most syrupy in color, said.

"It is just as you suspected. A force originating here in Japan is influencing the out come of the war. It appears as if the enemy wants us to release Semimaru." It was almost as if they were talking in code, because I understood none of it.

"I will have to think on this. Now tell me, why do you bring humans to this court?" My heart jumped, and I continued to stare at the marble road below me.

"This is Sango, the Taijiya, Miroku, a representative for the human's army… And…" Inuyasha looked up at me for a moment, as if assessing how to present me. "And this is Sesshomaru's destiny, Princess Kagome." I blushed. Like that was not ostentatious! 'You idiot!' I thought, hiding my face even more.

"Destiny?" Inu-Taisho's eyebrow rose. He was a bit surprised.

"Yes, destiny. Father… He cares deeply for her; I have never seen brother like this before."

The Taiyokai took a step towards me, and I felt my muscles tremble. I was scared of this man, he had a power far greater then anything I had ever felt before, and he was the most powerful yokai in this territory. I watched as he stopped directly in front of me, my vision focused on his shoes. "Look at me, young one." He commanded sternly, and I quickly obliged.

I was surprised at what I saw, the Taiyokai appeared only a few years older then Sesshomaru, but I knew from Inuyasha that he was well over four centuries old. "Y… Yes milord?" I managed to squeak out.

"You are Princess Kagome?"

"Y… Yes."

"How did you meet my son?"

"When he came to negotiate with my Father, Emperor Takashi, Taiyokai." I replied quickly, and I felt my words blend together. I also heard an intake of breath from Sango and Miroku; apparently, they did not know I was that Kagome either. Had I really failed to tell them anything about my self?

"I see. Do you know the nursery rhyme taught to human children about the miko, Midoriko?"

"Yes, o-of course my lord." I knew it, but not what it meant.

"Good, do you think that rhyme is true?"

"I… I don't know, it's just a rhyme, but Midoriko really did live a hundred years ago." I replied, almost stuttering my words.

"Yes, she did. Midoriko vanquished a great evil from this land when she was alive. That evil was said to rival anything that came before it. Do you think we have a great evil that is troubling us now, Princess Kagome?"

"Yes, I do. But what does the rhyme have to do with me?" I asked slowly, eyeing the powerful being.

Suddenly, the Taiyokai did the most surprising thing, he smiled. "You do not know, not one bit?"

I shook my head slowly, a frown appearing across my face. "No, I do not." This was confusing.

"Well, it is truly your destiny then." The Taiyokai opened his left palm, offering to help me up from my knees. I was more confused then ever, but I took the offer. I had not noticed until I stood, but a solemn group of yokai had formed behind us, and a small murmur had gone through the crowd when the Taiyokai had touched me.

"My good people, this girl, no, this woman, is the key to our destiny, the key to everyone's destiny." The Taiyokai proclaimed to the crowd. "My son, Sesshomaru, has found her, just as it was prophesized thirty years ago. Princess Kagome is the reincarnation of the great miko Midoriko, she is our ally."


	18. Chapter 18

"I'm what?" I stared at the Taiyokai, as if he had grown a second head. "I'm sorry, Taiyokai, but there is no way that I could be the reincarnation of Midoriko. My sister, Kikyo, is supposed to be it."

The Taiyokai grinned again, and gently patted me with a large hand. "Well, who ever said that was wrong, Princess Kagome, you are the reincarnation of Midoriko, I know."

"How?" I barely whispered, becoming aware that I was questioning one of the most powerful being's in Japan reasoning.

"Because, your scent is the same as Midoriko's." The Taiyokai replied.

"You met Midoriko?" I whispered out again, my eyes going wide. I started to gain even more respect and wonderment for the youkai in front of me. To think he had known Midoriko!

"Yes, I did. I shall tell you the story in due time, now, my little destiny, let us go inside with your companions. Inuyasha, you are to come as well." The Taiyokai commanded, and everyone complied. The other three stood, and I walked slowly behind the Taiyokai, Inuyasha keeping in stride with his Father. I was still amazed at my surroundings, but the most amazing among this was the Taiyokai Inu-Taisho. I could easily see the resemblance between him and his sons, especially among Sesshomaru. I assumed Inuyasha took after his mother, because his features were softer then his father and brother's, and looked more like that of a humans.

I was caught off guard when the two stopped, nearly bumping into Inuyasha. Looking around, I was a bit confused, but two servants opened a doorway, leading into, what I assumed to be, the Taiyokai's separate quarters. I smiled on the inside; I felt privileged to be in this situation and to be with this people. To think, if I had never meet Lord Sesshomaru, none of this would have ever happened!

The room we entered was cool and quiet, the white marble acting as a sound barrier to the rest of the world. On the walls there were large tapestries, some showed the current Taiyokai, Inu-Taisho, but there were some, such as a large one across the wall directly in front of me, that showed another scene. Curious, I moved around the two inu-lords, being sure not to bump into them. The tapestry had a woman and man. The woman was amazingly beautiful, and she was dressed like that of a warrior miko; her armor similar to that of a samurai's but modified somewhat to accommodate her different battle skills. Next to her was Inu-Taisho, and behind the two was a large, indigo crescent moon. I was surprised to see this; I had no idea that the savior of human kind was so intimately related to that of the inu-yokai. Turning around, I noticed the Taiyokai was watching me with a content smile. After a moment, I mustered up the courage to ask him; "Taiyokai, what was the great peril that came a hundred years ago?"

Inu-Taisho continued to smile, and motioned for all of us, including Sango and Miroku, to sit on large cushions placed around a medium sized desk made from dark wood. "You could say it's similar to what is going on now. There was a war between the Continent and Japan that threatened the annihilation of the human and yokai races. The Continent had some how gained the possession of the Shikon no Tama."

I frowned, "what is that? I have never heard of a Jewel of Four Souls."

"That's not surprising, Princess Kagome, the legend has ultimately been forgotten throughout the human race, but, do you see that pendant Midoriko is wearing in the tapestry?"

I shifted my gaze to the large tapestry, looking at it closely. Around Midoriko's neck was a jewel that was about two inches in diameter, hanging off a bone and shell chain. "I see, but what is significant about it?"

"As the name states, the Shikon no Tama has four souls trapped inside of it, love, strength, compassion, and resilience. But, like anything in this world, they can become tainted. They change to hatred, power, lust, and vengeance, because Midoriko was such a strong miko, she was able to keep the Shikon no Tama pure when it was in her possession. Even I do not know the whole story, but some how it was stolen from her, and placed into the hands of the evil emperor on the Continent. The Emperor there had long been jealous of Japan's prosperity, and he threw the country into a state of chaos. Emperor Hideyoshi, your grandfather, was the first human to unit all of the human states in Japan." The Taiyokai nodded to a servant, who came over with five cups of tea, pouring the warm liquid into the cups.

"This Jewel has such immense power that it was able to influence an entire nation?" Sango asked, picking up her tiny cup, blowing on the tea gently.

"Yes, but fortunately for us, when Hideyoshi reunited the land, he was also able to reunite with the youkai. Thus, that is how Midoriko and I became partners. My father, Inu-Zoki, was still ruling at the time, but he would be killed in the war when he fought the Emperor of the Continent." Inu-Taisho took a sip of his tea, watching us with his dark eyes.

Inuyasha was eagerly listening to the story as well, and for a moment I wondered how little even the youkai people knew of this story. "Taiyokai, I am still at a loss as to how this includes me." I admitted after a moment.

Inu-Taisho nodded, "to continue, when Midoriko obtained the Shikon no Tama again, it had been tainted to such an extent that she was unable to purify through her miko powers in life. Luckily or unluckily, it's hard to tell which, she suffered a grievous wound from the war and died only a few days after receiving the Shikon no Tama again. She had the jewel in the pyre with her, and the Shikon no Tama left this world with Midoriko's soul. Her soul has spent the last one hundred years purifying the Shikon no Tama to pass onto her reincarnation to wield as a power to save Japan from another great evil.

I know you are her reincarnation on three things, the first is that you look similar to her, which is not all ways a common thing among reincarnations, and second, you wield a power that destroyed a monster from the Continent."

I was a bit surprised to hear that, I thought only Sesshomaru and Sango knew about that, but apparently it had some how gotten back to the Taiyokai. "And three, you have the same scent."

I nearly let out a laugh when I heard that reasoning. "I'm sorry, but Taiyokai, how can I have the same scent as Midoriko?"

"She had a unique one that went along with her power, she smelled of sakura blossoms and fresh rain. You smell the same, there is no denying it, but you are her reincarnation."

I frowned; I found it hard to believe. It was almost too much to think that I resembled the beautiful woman I saw in the tapestry, and that I had some force inside of me that could save this land. Nevertheless, part of me also knew it was true, when I felt that power; it was as if something had awoken inside of me, and I had started changing. "What does that mean for me then?" I asked slowly, taking a sip of my tea.

"That means, just as I have said, you are this land's, and my son's destiny." Inu-Taisho replied, and a smile went across his face.

xxxxxxx

I talked with the Taiyokai for a long time, learning many things about Japan and about the youkai them selves. He told me that when his father died, he was well over six hundred years old! I was surprised; his Father was nearly as old as the gods were them selves. Among historical facts, I also learned that I could wield my power at any chosen time when it fully bloomed, but because I had not awakened yet, it would remain dormant. Apparently mikos were becoming harder and harder to find, the bloodline was becoming diluted, and even the Daiisan was weak in comparison to previous generations.

My discussion with the Taiyokai went well into the night, and when it finally ended, I was exhausted. I had learned so much, but I still had more questions. On seeing my fatigue, he instructed his servants to prepare rooms for Miroku, Sango, and I. Something I noticed when the three of us left for bed was that the yokai hardly seemed to sleep or eat. It was something that I had been meaning to ask for a while now, so I turned to Inuyasha as he escorted us through the halls. "Lord InuYasha, do youkai not sleep?"

Inuyasha snorted, waving me to the side as if I was an ignorant country bumpkin. "Of course we do, but not as much as humans. We only need three to four hours a night, some times up to six if we're wounded."

"I see…" I frowned slightly, that made me think of Sesshomaru. What if we were to sleep together? That thought alone made me blush, but I had to wonder, would he be up and antsy while I slept for a full eight hours. Frowning at this predicament, I bid goodnight to my companions, entering a room through a large, heavy door. I was surprised to see such plush accoutrements. I had assumed due to the starkness of the Taiyokai's meeting room that all most all yokai rooms would be similar. I was severely mistaken. I was obviously in a greeting room of some sorts, because there was a large desk with papers across it, along with a seal and other things. Behind the desk was a katana rack, specifically made to hold two katanas, one large and the other smaller.

Off to the left, through paper screens, I saw the edge of a large futon laden with pillows and heavy covers. Apparently, it got very cold inside the Palace, and I did not see a fireplace anywhere. Frowning slightly, I sat down on a small bench; the room raised slightly on tatami mats, and was about twelve mats wide and across.

There was another room off to the right side, and I pulled my shoes off, deciding to investigate. Pushing the heavy door in, I was surprised to see a small grotto carved from the marble to make a make shift hot springs. It was not nearly as big as some of the other hot springs I had seen before, but it was easily twelve by eight feet. Curious, I touched the steamy, murky water, and found it to be laden with minerals. This was a very, very good hot spring.

I grinned, 'time for a bath!' I thought, and quickly went in. Letting out a small gasp of relief, I washed off the grime from traveling, going down to chin deep. In front of me, carved into the stone, was a poem of some sorts. I read it quietly, but the characters were a bit hard to read, some of them nearly worn all the way off:

"The miko saved the land, but she died from a broken heart. Her wish was to bequeath humanity with a power to save it self. The inu and miko will be reunited through the son of Inu-Taisho, Sesshomaru."

'Sesshomaru!' I was surprised, and then I realized why the rooms were so extravagant, I was in his room! Embarrassed, I quickly got out of the hot springs, drying my self off. I had no idea that I was in such a sacred place. Was it all right for me to be here? Moreover, what did the poem mean?

Setting my traveling armor to the side, I picked up a small yukata set out for me. I grinned, and quickly donned the pale garment. I noticed that there was another, much larger yukata out for someone, possibly Sesshomaru? I frowned, 'but he isn't to be back for at least another day or two!' Shrugging it off, I pulled my self onto the futon, another laugh coming from me as I settled into the covers.

xxxxxxx

Sesshomaru let out a growl, issuing commands for the four behind him to prepare themselves. They had caught up with the back battalion of the armada and had initiated an attack. They had taken down about fifteen ships without fully transforming, but they were soon under a barrage of arrows and something like large, metal balls. Some of the technology was foreign to the yokai, but that did not matter.

Issuing a command with his left hand, the two males transformed into their full yokai forms. Sesshomaru heard sailors scream and panic, attempting to blast at the newly formed beasts, both of which were over thirty feet tall. The arrows did nothing, and simply bounced off the black fur of one of the yokai, while the other, his fur more blue, evaded a barrage of the metal balls.

Letting out a roar to single his other two subordinates to change as well, Sesshomaru started to transform. He felt his bones and muscles crack and stretch, his form elongating and expanded. His inner, stoic mind was unlocked, and a bloodthirsty beast came out. This time, the roar he let out was deafening, and shook the wooden boats in the water. The five fully changed yokai started the quick work of sinking and destroying the ships, moving with even greater swiftness. In a few moments, they had easily demolished fifty ships, and the word was going out through fire signals and birds that monsters were attacking the back line.

Growling out his glee, Sesshomaru drew back, the clouds that accompanied his transformation swirling around him. Opening his maw wide, electricity started to form in a tight ball, and with a bang he shot it out, the energy peeling through thirty ships before it consumed it self. That was not one of Sesshomaru's natural abilities, but with Tokijin, he had gained newfound power. Similarly, with Tensiega, he could create a healing mist if he chose to emit from his paws and heal anything it touched, but he had yet to use that ability.

Another roar echoed across the water as the black inu attacked a head ship. However, this time he was expelled back ward in a flurry of turquoise colored light. Whimpering with his large tail between his legs, the yokai backtracked to Sesshomaru's side, shaking his left paw. His paw and the side of his faced were burned with a strange, purifying light, unlike the kind that the holy men wielded in Japan. Letting out a roar of rage, the same inu attacked again, and expelled with a similar attack.

Sesshomaru growled, and pulled back, the hair on his maw nearly singed off as the strange bolts of energy started to attack him as well. Turning his right paw to the two females and the blue male, those yokai went to the other ships, but stayed far away from the head ship, intent on destroying as much of the battalion as they could.

This time, Sesshomaru attacked the head ship, catching a glimpse at what was sending out the holy light before he had to evade it. It was a Chinese man dressed in odd clothing, but he seemed to be muttering and holding his hands together in a complex position. Sesshomaru's logical mind was barely able to push out, 'Tao Master', before his beast took over again. The yokai saw there was an obvious range as to how far the Tao Master could reach, and Sesshomaru easily avoided the man ship, and he, with his pack, attacked the other unguarded ships.

It continued like this for hours, the sun rising then setting again. Sesshomaru and his force met sixteen other Tao Masters, but they were able to destroy much of the battalion, halving their numbers through the yokai's sheer force and size.

Sesshomaru called a retreat as he saw the second sunrise, and the yokai rose to the air, dark clouds forming around them as the headed towards the Moon Palace, which was close for them, but would take the armada at least ten days to arrive there now from damages and other problems. The yokai had to hurry; if they continued to stay in this form for much longer, their inner beasts would take over and they would become trapped in this form for the rest of their lives.

They rode the clouds quickly, and each one slowly started to revert to a human shape. It took Sesshomaru the longest of them all, his inner beast was all most always never released, and each time it did come out, it would get a bit stronger, chipping away at his subconscious. It was also because Sesshomaru was a direct descendant of the first inu-yokai, through his father, that his beast was so strong. The inus around him had diluted in blood compared to the strength of his heritage.

Taking a shaky breath in, Sesshomaru put a hand over his heart, wincing as he felt his ribs crack into place. Transforming was also extremely painful, each time he did it, and it would push at the boundaries of his pain threshold. Scowling at the feeling of having no control even over his own psyche, Sesshomaru looked to his four subordinates. "You did very well, but we still have a tough battle in front of us."

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru." Each of the elite inus bowed, a feeling of exhaustion sweeping through the group. "How long do you think we delayed them, sir?"

"Seven, maybe eleven days at the most." Sesshomaru replied, and rubbed his neck gently. "That will give us enough time to prepare the Moon Palace."

xxxxxxx

The small group of inus landed in the Moon Palace some time in the middle of the night. Their arrival was greeted with a small troupe of healers, scribes, and families. Even Inu-Taisho was there to greet his son. The two quickly left the welcoming guests, and went to Inu-Taisho's study.

"How does it go, my son?" Inu-Taisho asked, watching as a healer examined Sesshomaru's wounds.

"We were able to destroy many ships before coming here, and delay them, but I fear it will still be tough." He winced as the healer rubbed a medicinal herb along his left arm, where he had obtained a burn from the Tao Master.

"How did you get that burn?"

"A Tao Master, there were about eighteen to twenty of them all together, we managed to kill one, but it took most of the strength out of us and we had to retreat."

"I see." Inu-Taisho closed his dark eyes, thinking. "It is good fortune then that you and Inuyasha have returned, I will be able to perform the Semimaru then. It appears that Sounga will not be enough for this task." Sounga was the Taiyokai's personal katana. A katana of such fearsome power that only the Taiyokai of the Western Territory could control and wield it effectively. Even Sesshomaru would be taken over by the evil contained in the sword. After a moment, Inu-Taisho offhandedly remarked, "I'm glad we named that ceremony as Semimaru- our enemies have no idea what we are speaking of." Both yokai chuckled, but the conversation turned serious again.

"The Tao Masters have amazing purification and holy abilities, and I have reason to suspect that the humans here will commit treason against us and launch a land attack." Sesshomaru said after another layer of healing salve was applied to his wound.

"Oh, and what reasoning is there for this assumption?" Inu-Taisho asked, an eyebrow rising. "It is not good to blindly throw insults at our allies."

"I know, Father, I would not have presented you this idea without proof. Here, look at what I found." Sesshomaru pulled a small piece of leather from inside of his sash and handed it to his father. A large blue sakura blossom and sun was stamped on the leather; it was Emperor Takashi's crest.

Inu-Taisho let out an angry growl, and quickly crumpled the leather in his hands. "I see, the only way for this seal to be put on this type of leather is if the Emperor him self has to stamp it. I am glad you have brought this to my attention, Sesshomaru."

"Thank you, Father. May I ask…?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"Did Kagome make it here safely?" Sesshomaru asked slowly, slightly embarrassed about acquiring on the well-being of the one he hopped to make his mate.

Inu-Taisho smirked, setting the leather piece down in front of him. "I see, you are really that intent on her then?"

"Yes, Father." Sesshomaru was determined; he was an inu after all!

"You know I do not approve, I do not want a repeat of what happened with Inuyasha's mother. It hurts immensely when you loose a human, Sesshomaru." His father replied gravely, assessing Sesshomaru's responses.

"I know, Father, but I care deeply for her, none the less."

"I obviously cannot dissuade you from this course of action, Sesshomaru, but I doubt her father, Emperor Takashi, would approve."

Suddenly, anger lit into Sesshomaru's eyes. "I do not care what that snake of a man approves of or hates, you should have seen how Kagome was treated when she was living with him!"

"I see…" Inu-Taisho continued to smirk, and seemed to be processing the entire affair quietly. "Well, she is in your quarters, I will not stop you if you choose to make her your Mate, just keep my warning in mind. Oh, and one more thing. She is the reincarnation of Midoriko, you know."

"I guessed that much, thank you Father." Sesshomaru felt a smile grace his lips, but he quickly hid it, letting the healer finish with his work.

xxxxxxx

I woke with a start, but I could not place what had woken me. Yawning softly, I sat up, rubbing my eyes. It was dark in the room, the few windows covered with screens, keeping the small amount of moonlight from showering into the room. I looked up, and I quickly started, the screen was pushed aside to the meeting room and I saw someone sitting there, watching me. I saw a familiar golden glint, and I immediately grinned. "Sesshomaru!"

Jumping up, I ran over to him, and I was quickly greeted in a warm embrace. "Kagome!" I heard my name whispered, just barely, and I felt content.

"How were your travels?" I replied in an equally soft manner. I felt the need to be quietly, and I quickly shifted into his lap, my hands gripping his. I noticed he had a bandage across his left arm; I quickly looked at him, concerned.

He grinned, showing me his happy side, something that was rarely visible through his mask. "It went well, and don't worry Kagome; it's just a minor injury."

"Good." I said, and gently kissed his fingertips, being wary of his claws. "I missed you…"

"As did I." I was thrilled at that.

I felt content in his warm embrace, and I let out a small, happy sigh. "It felt like ages since I last saw you, Sesshomaru. Please, never leave again for so long."

"I will try not to, Kagome." He tilted my head up, and gently pressed his warm lips against mine. I returned the gentle kiss, and we stayed like that for a few moments before we parted.

"Uh… Sesshomaru?"

"Yes?"

"Can I stay here, like this, for a little while?" I asked timidly, content on being so close to him.

"Certainly, but you need your sleep, I can lie next to you if you like." I nodded quickly, and he suddenly picked me up, shutting the screen door behind him in the process. Setting me down gently on the bed, I smiled, and watched for a moment, as he got undressed, before turning away. My girlish mind was still not ready to perceive what lay behind his clothes, and I was content at this moment simply to be near him. I felt strong arms wrap around my waist and pull me to his chest, and at that point, I realized something. I was finally happy, I loved someone, and he loved me deeply in return.


	19. Chapter 19

I woke the next morning feeling elated. I had spent the entire night with Lord Sesshomaru, something that was not an easy feat in my opinion. I woke up two or three times because the yokai Lord's arm or hair kept getting in the way. I was a bit tired, but other then these minor trifling, my soul felt complete.

"Sesshomaru?" I asked quietly, gently combing my long hair out. I noticed that my hair was getting finer and shinier; perhaps it was because I was able to bathe regularly now, but I was not exactly sure. Maybe it was from the love I felt for the man next to me.

"Yes, Kagome?" He gently pulled out a scroll from a cabinet; there were hundreds of scrolls in the room, something I failed to notice the other night. Apparently, he enjoyed reading as much as I did.

"You're arm and hair is heavy." I replied, and set the comb down.

"Oh? Perhaps I need to tire you out before we go to bed. Then it won't bother you" He leaned over behind me, gently nipping at my ear. "I know many ways to accomplish that."

I felt a blush creep up my face and I quickly scooted away. "I see then… N-never mind." I heard him chuckle behind me and I could only scowl. HE obviously had a mischievous side.

A servant knocked at the door to Sesshomaru's rooms, and after giving us a few moments of grace, she left a stack of robes outside of the paper screen that separated Sesshomaru's sleeping quarters. Taking the stack, I gave the biggest garments to Sesshomaru, noticing that they were all a deep indigo. "Is blue the royal color here as well?"

"Yes, because the crescent moon on the heir's forehead, my forehead, is always blue. Also, the mark on the Taiyokai's Mate will be blue as well." He replied, peering at the garments, inspecting their worthiness to grace his frame.

"What do you mean mark and mate?" I asked, pulling out my own clothes. The maid had given me clothes like those that I requested; not a typical kimono but one modified to a more manageable length.

"Ah… Well, with yokai, instead of marriage we would become Mates. After the first time we have sex, I would mark you as my Mate, which involves the sharing of blood. You would either get a mark of a crescent moon on the nap of your neck, or shoulder, it varies from person to person." Sesshomaru stood, pulling off his own yukata while my back was turned.

"That is certainly different from humans…" I whispered quietly, the blush still tinting my cheeks. "Can yokai have more than one Mate?" I asked, and went behind the screen that concealed the futon.

"Well… Yes, but inus have all ways been monogamous. For instance, the Taiyokai could choose to have a harem if he wants, but it would just create dissent when he would name an alpha female. It's generally easier to have one Mate, and just one person you care deeply for." I heard Sesshomaru move his scrolls about as well.

"I see… So you can Mate even if you don't feel love?" I slipped on my hakama, marveling at the soft, black silk.

"Yes, but the bond between the Mates would not be true. Often, many inus go for years without Mating until they find the one person they feel absolute devotion too. Of course, there are arranged marriages as well, where that option is not available. Ah, here it is…" I heard him pull out a particularly large scroll, setting it down on the floor.

I remained silent, thinking this over. Apparently getting a Mate was just of big a deal as marriage was to humans. Tying the sash around my waist, I moved from behind the screen. The maid had given me a simple outfit, but it felt wonderful to wear. The hakama and haori were actually deep indigo, not black, as I had thought before. Along the left sleeve were tiny, blue crescent moons, showing that I had a connection to the royal inu clan. I had also put my hair into a ponytail, which now reached well below my waist. For the few weeks I had been from Sesshomaru, I felt that I had matured greatly, on not only the outside, but the inside as well. I blushed as I saw Sesshomaru look at me, his eyes noticing the small crescent moons as well. "You look exceptional, you made a wise choose in modifying the kimono." He stood up, walking over me to gently embrace me.

I was a bit surprised, and I gently put my hands to his chest. "Sesshomaru?" I asked quietly, and my puzzled look was obvious because he drew back. He was being oddly affectionate.

"Nothing, I am simply happy that one day, you will be my Mate." He picked up a scroll behind me, walking to his desk into the other room. I put my hands to my face, had I really changed that much? He kept complimenting me, was I beautiful? I could not help but smile. Of course, I must be beautiful, in some form or another. Otherwise, Sesshomaru would never set foot next to me! Grinning, I followed Sesshomaru, who seemed to be intently studying a map.

"Kagome, there is going to be a fierce battle in little over a week, I want you to remain safe during it." Sesshomaru said, tracing a route with his index finger, his sharp claws delicately moving over the thing paper.

I scowled. "But Sesshomaru! I can fight, I know how to, I don't want to be useless and just hide!"

Sesshomaru sighed, looking up at me. "I want you to be safe; I need to know that you are safe. If not, I will be distracted during the battle and I, we, cannot afford that. Besides, your power is still dormant, it may take days, or even years, for it to surface again." Apparently, he knew about that as well. The Taiyokai and him must have a very open relationship.

I turned away, but a smile graced my lips as he took my hand, kissing each fingertip slowly. "I want you to be safe, that is all."

"I know."

"Good. Come in." Another servant knocked in the door, this time a male. He looked at Sesshomaru, then to me, bowing.

"My Lord, both you and Princess Kagome are requested to see Healer Himiko."

Sesshomaru audibly sighed, and looked to me. "We best go, if we don't hurry, she'll poison our food with herbs that give you hiqups that last for a day." My eyebrow rose, had Sesshomaru suffered this healer's wrath before? As if guessing my thought, Sesshomaru looked at me quizzically. "It was not I who received the herbs, but Inuyasha. He had put a frog in her futon when she was sleeping. It was not a pretty sight in the morning."

"I would imagine so…" I stood, following the servant and Sesshomaru as he led us to the vengeful Healer Himiko's rooms.

xxxxxx

"Kekeke…" An older female inu, who looked to be about forty or fifty years old in human age, sat stirring a stew. "I see, I see…"

She continued to mutter to her self, and I leaned over to Sesshomaru, gently whispering. "Who is she talking to?"

"I'm not really sure…" He whispered back, and we both sat up when she looked at us.

"Ah! Young love, it is a beautiful sight, but I see you two are still hesitant and embarrassed with each other, now why is this? Your father has given his blessing on your union, why do you stall, Lord Sesshomaru?" She asked, pointing at him with his spoon, a sticky green substance dripping off it.

"Well… I…" Sesshomaru started to protest, but was quickly interrupted.

"Never mind your excuses!" She flicked the spoon now to me. "And you! Princess Kagome, why have you not sought the arms of such a magnificent creature? Are you not prepared to see what lies in his haori?"

"I… Uh… I…" My face turned a deep, deep red.

"No excuses there girl! Many women, yokai and human a like, would swoon underneath such a male, why do you stall? Why, why?" To emphasize her point, she hit the cauldron in front of her twice, the contents bubbling any more. I felt mortified, and I shifted uncomfortably. I did not want to have this discussion… Not at all. Even Sesshomaru seemed a bit uncomfortable.

"We need more pups! No matter they be hanyou or yokai!" Glaring at both of us, she stirred the poultice in her cauldron again. "Of course, I could give you both a cure all fix for it…"

My eyebrows rose. "What do you mean?"

"Oh… Nothing… Your food just may be a bit more, oh, what would the word be? Sensual then usual." She replied, cackling as she plotted, turning around to grab a pinch of some herb.

I turned to Sesshomaru, my eyes wide. He had a similar expression as he looked at me. "She's planning on putting aphrodisiacs into our food!"

I gulped quietly, "but… I would not want us to… err… Mate, just because of that!"

"I agree." He hissed back, and when the healer looked at us again, Sesshomaru quickly made a refusal. "Himiko, we will take care of this at our own pace. But thank you for your concern."

"You sure? I have some nice herbs that will make your little human there moan all night long." She asked, looking at him through the corners of her eyes.

"I am sure! Thank you Himiko!" Sesshomaru quickly stood, grabbing me and practically dragging me out of the room. Apparently, he thought if I were in the presence of that woman for any longer, my mind would succumb to her devious thoughts.

xxxxxx

I could not help but giggle as a very flustered Sesshomaru pulled me out of the healer's rooms. "Aw, Sesshomaru, she was just being considerate!"

He stopped, and slowly turned to me, a small, barely visible blush gracing his cheeks. "I will not be eating my food from the servants anymore. She's nearly as bad as some of the other older inus." I nodded, but I continued to laugh softly, following the great inu lord.

After our encounter with Himiko, Sesshomaru spent the rest of the day with me, even scorning his Father's requests. I made a comment on it here and there, but he refused to explain why he would not answer his father's calls. Even with his odd and slightly possessive behavior, I was taken on a quick tour of the Moon Palace.

I was amazed by the shear size of the palace, along with the inhabitants. The inu yokai I saw inside of the palace were as varied in appearance as humans were. Some greeted me with kindness and respect, while others either ignored me or scorned me. I did not care for many of the people, but there was one yokai who caught my eye, who did not appear to be like the other inus.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" I asked, gently putting a hand on his shoulder. I had decided to address him in the formal when we were out of the private chambers, best to keep up appearances after all.

"Hn?" He replied, distracted by what an older inu was saying next to him.

"Who's that yokai?" I asked timidly. The yokai I was pointing out was extremely different from the rest of the group. He had long, black hair, tied in a ponytail, and pointed ears. However, the biggest difference between his physical features and that of the youkai around him was that he had a large, brown tail. Curious, I studied him more, his dark, fur robes and black armor obviously indicating he was a different species.

"Ah, that is the ookami Prince, Koga." Sesshomaru replied, nodding to the other inu.

As if hearing his name, the ookami looked up, and when he saw Sesshomaru, grinned from ear to ear. He had large fangs, much bigger then the inu's, and his appearance was feral. The Prince came bounding over quickly, two of his servants following him. "Ah! Lord Sesshomaru! It's a fine day indeed to see you here."

"Good afternoon, Lord Koga." Sesshomaru replied with a familiar stoic façade. "I take it that the ookami will be here in three days?"

"Of course!" Koga replied, putting his hand on his hip. "Most of the warriors will come here, but my father will be unable, he's gotten rather old and rickety in his age, and it's been decided that he should stay home."

"A wise choice." Sesshomaru nodded, his hand placed firmly on my shoulder.

I watched the two youkai for a couple more minutes, before I let my gaze wander. I started noticing other youkai who appeared to be different then the inus. A bit of a ways off, I saw a woman with neko ears and a tail, a golden band around her head. Yet in another spot, there was a large kuma yokai, his human form all most nine feet tall. My attention snapped back to my lord and the prince when the ookami suddenly queried as to who I was. "Oh! I'm sorry, I am Princess Higurashi Kagome." I bowed my head, just slightly. I only used my full family name when I was being introduced to nobles that I had never met before.

Koga's eyes bulged, as if he recognized me, and he whipped back to Sesshomaru. "I see, and I take it that you and she will become… Mates in the future?"

"That is true." Sesshomaru replied impassively, and gave a slightly nod to Koga, showing it was time for us to go. "We need to be on our way, my Father requires our audience, and it was a pleasure."

"A pleasure indeed…" Koga murmured, watching us leave, a strange look on his face.

I felt slightly uncomfortable, and I wrapped my arm around Sesshomaru's tightly. As we walked away, I could feel the Ookami's gaze on my back, as if he was studying me intently. His gaze was not as piercing as Sesshomaru's, but something bothered me about it. The scars on my back ached, but I did not think it was because of Koga. Perhaps I was just imagining it, but I could not shake the feeling until well after Sesshomaru and I met with InuTaisho.


	20. Chapter 20

The day before the great battle was hectic and filled with energy. Huge numbers of yokai were pouring into the city, all from the different territories of Japan. I was often watching in amazement as Lord such and such came from some place far off. As I watched the influx, I noticed that the yokai continued to vary in appearance, and I decided to investigate just how a youkai could look. Some were more human looking, like the ookami prince I had seen before; other's looked more animalistic, similar to Inuyasha. Yokai were truly amazing beings.

Sitting on a bench, over looking the nearby coast, I let out a tiny sigh, rubbing me knees. Tonight would be the feast before the great battle tomorrow, apparently the stores of the Moon Palace had been opened, many foreign and delicate dishes prepared tonight. I was nervous for another reason, not because of the food, but rather Sesshomaru was going to announce my adoption into the Moon Palace and the inu family.

Shifting, I rubbed my knees again. I did not know what sort of adoption he meant, but I felt as if I was growing up, and away from my human family. Even if they were not the best family in the world, they were still my blood relatives, and I had a bit of separation anxiety. I was going to be thrown into a foreign culture, with rules and restrictions that I could not even fathom.

Looking out to the waves again, I felt my worried mind calm down as I saw a familiar face come and sit next to me. "Hello, Miroku." The Lieutenant was a bit subdued from our last encounter, and because Sesshomaru nearly castrated him when he found out that Miroku had seen me naked.

"Hello, Princess Kagome." He looked wistfully out at the ocean tops, his hand running over his dark hair. "Princess… I have something to ask of you." He seemed bothered, as if there was a great weight on his shoulders.

"Oh, what is it?" What on Earth could be disturbing my friend?

"I am going to ask Sango to marry me, we have known each other for about four years now, and I feel as if the time is ripe… But…" He scowled, and looked at me, his violet eyes shining with resolve. "I need advice how to do so!"

I was surprised, and a felt a thin smile go across my lips. "I'm hardly the person to ask, Miroku."

"Well, considering you are her friend, I figured you'd be the best person to go to."

"True…" I thought for a moment, running my hands over the soft material of my sleeve. "With Sango, she wants to be held as a delicate woman, but you also need to respect her independence." I remembered the time when I witnessed her smashing her large boomerang on top of Miroku's head; it was not a pretty sight. "My suggestion would be to take her here, when the fest is at its pinnacle. I heard this is a very romantic place to be at night."

Miroku nodded, rubbing his chin gently. "Thank you, Princess. You have greatly helped me in my decision."

I let out a sigh, "you may stop calling me 'Princess', I'm hardly one as it is." I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to look as menacing as possible. My look simply got a small laugh and a shake of his head.

"Indeed, fine then, Kagome." Standing, he bowed politely to me, before returning to the main halls of the palace.

Grinning, I looked out to the waves again, my bare feet moving in the grass underneath the bench. 'Miroku and Sango… A fine pair indeed.' Standing after a few minutes, I headed inside as well.

xxxxxx

"W… What's going on, Lord Sesshomaru?" I asked quietly, my eyes wide with fright. In front of me was an entire battalion of maids, each holding a menacing beauty tool in her hands. My mind was reeling with the thought of the pain that a certain comb would cause my scalp.

Sesshomaru was watching me with an amused grin across his face, his arms crossed. "It's just as it appears, apparently it has been decided that the maids will help you dress." As he said this, I started to scoot back towards the door, but he grabbed my arm with ease, shaking his head. "Of course, I could all ways stay with you during it…"

I felt my face light up with a dark blush, and I quickly waved my hands, the maids in the room giggling loudly at my embarrassment. "T-That's quite all right! Please leave!" Hiding my face underneath my hands, I felt Sesshomaru pass by me, his fingers trailing delicately over my shoulder.

Waiting for the door to close, the inu maids immediately rushed over to me. I noticed most of them were only part yokai, but all of them were beautiful. Looking at each of them, I slowly put my arms down, figuring this would be a battle that I could not win.

They quickly pulled off my clothes and undid my hair, leading me to Sesshomaru's private hot springs. Three of the maids disrobed, slipping into the warm mineral water after me. The majority of them were in awe at the grandeur of Sesshomaru's rooms, and a felt a bit of pride peck at my heart, realizing the man I loved was truly a noble man in every sense. My pride soon dissipated, though, as they scrubbed my skin and fragranced my hair. My hair was combed through, and put into a long, intricate braid that spanned down my spine. As the maid braided it, she wove silver and indigo blue into my ebony hair.

I heard a few of the maids giggle excitedly when they saw what I was going to wear, and indeed, it was a piece of art. The kimono in front of me was like none I had ever seen before; it was modified, like what I had done with the kimonos I had been given to wear here, but it was made of the softest silk I had ever felt. Unlike regular kimonos, my modified version wore haori underneath the hakama, the hakama only coming down to about knee length.

I was hoisted out of the bath, and quickly wiped down; the maid wiping my back had stopped when she saw my scars. "Princess Kagome… I must inquire, how did you get these scars?"

I let out a tiny sigh, turning to look over my shoulder at the hanyo female. "I'd rather not go into the details, but I would have died, if not for Lord Sesshomaru. Those scars are hardly a price to pay from what he saved me from." The maids giggled again, some sighing as they heard of Sesshomaru's valiant rescue. I blushed gently, and moved my arms and legs accordingly as they helped me to slip into the opaque silk undergarments.

After a few moments of adjusting my undergarments, I pulled on the haori, marveling at the rich blue material. Silver thread was used to stitch together the pieces of the expensive silk, tiny silver moons gracing the edges of the haori. I then put on the hakama, marveling once again at the beauty of my clothes. My hands went over a silver crescent moon embroidered across my right breast, noticing that my sleeves were sewn with tiny, pure white pearls. Amazed at the richness of the garments, I let the maids help me into a pair of fresh tatami, then cherry-wood geta. I felt amazing, to be in such splendor, and I did not feel as if the image I was projecting was fake, or doll like. Looking up, I was surprised to see that most of the maids had already left. As the last one left, Lord Sesshomaru came into my room, and we both stared at each other.

I felt my heart bubble over with pride, he was beautiful, like a god, his clothing traditional, but still gave him an amazing appearance. He had a white kimono on, dark purple and indigo sakura blossoms embroidered along the sleeves. His hair was down, the silvery mane a heavy blanket against his back which stopped at his knees. Sesshomaru's sash was a deep magenta, similar to the markings on his cheeks and wrists, and for a brief moment I wondered where else he would have those markings, but I was quickly distracted from the thought. On his head, there was a silver band, two circles stopping on each side of the indigo crescent moon on his forehead, portraying him as the true heir to the Western Territory. It was not his clothes, or even his physical features that attracted me to him, but his eyes.

His honey colored eyes were full of passion, emotion, and love. His focus was centered on me, and I felt my knees start to melt, unsure of how to respond to the man beneath the mask, to the man that had finally shown him self to me.

"Kagome."

My heart started to beat rapidly in my chest, and I had to regain my composure quickly. I noticed that he was holding a box in his left hand, and he held it up to me, a smile across his face.

"This is for you. My Father requested that I would give it to you, seeing as how you will become the new Lady of the Western Territory." He opened the lacquered box, and inside was a large pendant, a crescent moon. This crescent moon was at least the side of my hand, from fingertip to wrist, and it was carved from one large, flawless pearl. Hands shaking, I slowly drew it up, looking at it.

Sesshomaru took it from me, gently putting it over my head. The heavy pendant slid down, settling between my breasts. Looking down at it, I gently grasped it with my left hand, feeling tears start to form. I drew my attention away, looking up to Sesshomaru, "thank you." I whispered quietly, standing on my toes to give him a gentle kiss. I felt him smile, but he did not return it, instead wrapping his arms around me to embrace me.

"Kagome, you wear the symbol that my mother wore, along with Inuyasha's, show the yokai race that you are worthy of wearing it." He replied, leaning down to kiss the top of my forehead.

I nodded, wrapping my hands into the front of his kimono, my tears starting to trail down my cheeks. "I understand." I said softly, my voice muffled against his warm front. I felt him chuckle, and I looked up, seeing a bright array of emotions across his face.

"You don't need to take it so solemnly, Kagome, it's an honor to wear it, and to have such a beautiful women be at my side." He leaned down, catching me in another kiss, his thick, silver hair fanning around us like a curtain. I put my arms around his neck, drawing my self up on my toes to make it easier for him. He returned the gesture, putting his hands on my waist, but suddenly someone knocked on the door, and we jumped apart.

I looked over at Sesshomaru, but his mask had all ready swung back into place. I was slightly disappointed. But, now that I knew what was underneath his icy exterior and I could not wait for it to reappear.

xxxxxx

We received many glances as we walked through the Moon Palace. It was customary for the crown prince and his mate to walk through the Palace on the day of a feast, showing that the royal family was one with the people. We stopped at different pavilions now and then, some times greeted by the inhabitants with long arrays of bows and praise, or with a nervousness that was rather funny. I noticed one thing, though, no one questioned who, or what I was to Sesshomaru.

Smiling to my self, we made our way back towards the royal family's part of the Moon Palace. Already the sounds of cheering and joy were resounding through out the large, marble halls, and I could not help but giggle. "It's as if we weren't going to go to war in the morning."

"Of course, Princess Kagome, if the soldier's were to be gloomy on the eve of battle, we would never have a chance of winning." Came the reply of a certain hanyo.

I nearly jumped out of my skin, turning to my lift to see Inuyasha. For the umpteenth time today, I was amazed at yokai stealth. "Good evening, Lord Inuyasha."

Inuyasha gave me a nod, his hands crossed in his haori. He was wearing fire rat robes, but these were of a different quality then the ones I had seen him wear before. These robes gave off a golden sheen each time you looked at it, the gold thread used to embroider and stitch them adding to the affect. Across his right breast was a crescent moon as well. Unlike mine, it was in completely gold thread, and shone vibrantly in the torch light. Similar to Sesshomaru and me, InuYasha wore another crescent moon that conveyed his status. Because he was not the heir to the lands, InuYasha did not have a marking of a crescent moon on his body, but that was easily compensated for. He wore a large cuff on his right wrist, a crescent moon made of topaz set in the gold washed silver. It glittered with such ferocity that I had to wonder if it had yokai powers in it.

Turning away from Inuyasha, we stopped at the front gates to the dining hall. I felt nervous for a moment, hearing the sounds of a large crowd behind the solid doors, but I quickly steadied my self. The torch light jumped around the hallway we were in, giving the doors a much more ominous feel, but they slowly started to swing open.

"Announcing the Crown Prince, Lord Sesshomaru, Lord General Inuyasha, and Princess Higurashi Kagome, reincarnation of Midoriko." I was surprised to hear my incarnation status being announced so openly.

Looking up, I let out a tiny gasp, but quickly regained my composure. In front of us was an amazing group of yokai, ranging in status from warriors to Lords. I felt my knees quiver, but Sesshomaru gently pressed my hand harder against his, and I calmed down. We walked forward, all eyes in the room on us.

Festoons of paper lanterns were across the tall top of the cavern, which I now noticed had no ceiling. Instead of walking on marble, as I had expected, we walked across the softest, greenest grass I had ever seen, towards the largest sakura blossom tree in all of the Western Territory. Seated beneath the tree, at the very center of the trunk, was the Taiyokai him self. His garments were rather plain in comparison to our own, but it did not take away from his regal nature. What did catch my eye was the largest sapphire I had ever seen across around his neck with fresh water pearls the size of my thumbnail strung on the same thread as it.

As we got closer, the Taiyokai rose to greet us, along with the rest of the court. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha kneeled, and I quickly followed suit. My heart was pounding loudly, and I felt as if I had stepped into a foreign world, and yet my soul was at ease.

"My family, my friends." The Taiyokai's voice boomed across the courtyard. "Tomorrow we shall face the largest battle in the history of yokai, and mankind, even more deadly then the Great War fought a hundred years ago." He swung his hands up, everyone turning to look to the sky. "My fellows, the gods themselves smile upon our endeavor, for tonight we see a crescent moon, the symbol of my noble house. But, even if we have the blessing of the gods, the battle will be hard and long." The Taiyokai motioned towards the three of us, and I saw a smile creep across his lips.

"We have been gifted with the protector of the Shikon no Tama, Midoriko's reincarnation. Princess Higurashi Kagome is Sesshomaru's Mate and equal, a good omen on the eve of battle. Let us hope that all bodes well for tomorrow." The Taiyokai took a small sake cup from a servant, holding it up to the yokai in front of him. In turn, those with sake cups brought the small cups up as well. "To a bright dawn and a peaceful future." He drained the cup, a broad grin across his majestic face. "Let's eat!"

Sesshomaru, Inuyasha and I stood, me following Sesshomaru. He sat down on the right side of Inu-Taisho, Inuyasha on the left. I sat down next to Sesshomaru as well, curious as to how we were going to eat without table. I looked around at the youkai sitting in front of us, and I noticed that the ookami prince was staring at me once again; I felt a blush rise to my cheeks, staring down at my knees.

"Is something bothering you, Kagome?" Sesshomaru asked, peering down at me, his hands tucked into the long sleeves of his hakama.

I shook my head quickly, not wanting to ruin the wondrous night for him. "No, I was just wondering how we were going to eat."

My question was quickly answered as a small group of servants brought out a short table for us to eat off. The wood was dark and obviously from a foreign land, I believe it would be called, 'maple' wood or something similar. Watching the servants return, this time with chopsticks, plates, and pitchers of tea, I let out a tiny smile. Apparently, not everything was entirely different in the yokai realms.

This time, a long string of servants, with their sleeves tied up to their elbows came down the middle hall, where Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, and I had walked to get to the Taiyokai. Each was carrying a separate dish, the first three servants going to our table, while those behind them branching off to serve the nobles. The first course appeared to be a light miso soup with small pieces of tofu in it.

Sipping the soup delicately out of the lacquered bowl, I felt warm and content. 'I am truly home.' I thought to my self, looking at Sesshomaru through the corners of my eyes. The pendant around my neck no longer felt heavy, it felt as if it always belonged there. Pressing my leg gently against Sesshomaru's, our movements hidden from the soft light of the paper lanterns far above, I felt him return the pressure. Knowing his thoughts were on a similar wavelength as mine, I gave a small smile.

I looked out at the crowd in front of me, spotting Miroku and Sango off to the left. A tiny grin peered across my face as I saw Miroku take Sango's hand, leading her out of the main dining hall. Knowing what awaited my friend, I turned my attention to the courtyard it self, marveling, once again, at yokai beauty.

There were at least fifty yokai seated in the courtyard, all of different races and territories. All of them appeared to be having a well enough time, and many were flirting with one another. I noticed in particular that the neko youkai were guilty of flirting with many of the inus, not saying with one in particular. This made an inu-yokai unhappy. I let out a tiny giggle as I watched a frustrated male turn his attention away from the female yokai who had not been paying attention to him.

My eyes strayed across the courtyard, but some how they fell upon the ookami Prince once again. He was staring at me with such intensity that I thought I might melt under his gaze. What was he looking at me for? Had I made a mistake in my greeting the Taiyokai some how? Frowning, I was relieved when he was drawn into a conversation at the table next to him, my attention returning to the three inus next to me.

"Princess Kagome." The Taiyokai said softly, nodding to Sesshomaru to switch places with me. I stood slowly, letting Sesshomaru move around before I sat next to the inu. Apparently this was a rarity, and many of the older inu yokai stopped talking, staring at me for a moment before returning to their conversation.

"Yes, Taiyokai?" I asked slowly, my gaze on the dark table in front of me once again.

He let out a small laugh, swirling the soup in his bowl quietly. "You needn't refer to me as 'Taiyokai' anymore; I am going to be your surrogate Father one day." He sipped the soup, the large sapphire around his neck glittering in the soft light. "Speaking of which," he turned to me, setting his bowl down, "I would like to give you something special from this family." I touched the pearl crescent moon around my neck, but InuTaisho shook his head gently. "No, that is from the Territory, what I want to give you is something that only the Mates of the Taiyokai or Crown Heir can wear. Sesshomaru."

I looked to my left, and this time a small, soft cloth tied together was presented to me from inside Sesshomaru's kimono. Curious, I looked up to my lord, who simply nodded, offering me the small gift.

Taking it, I was puzzled as to what it could be, and I undid the cloth slowly, surprised at what I found. There were two combs made of silver and ivory, ivory one of the rarest substances in Japan, set with two small diamonds and one larger diamond on each comb. I watched Sesshomaru pick up one, holding it delicately in his clawed hands. Similarly, InuTaisho the other. Sesshomaru gently place the comb in my hair, the delicate piece on one side of my thick braid. "I accept you as my Mate, Kagome." Sesshomaru whispered quietly to me.

Inu-Taisho, with an equal gentleness, place the other comb on the right side of my braid, saying, "and I welcome you into my clan, Princess." As they gently withdrew their hands, I felt my face explode into a deep crimson, realizing this was what Sesshomaru had meant by my 'adoption'. Reaching down, I placed my hand over Sesshomaru's, feeling reassurance in his warmth. After a few moments, he turned his hand over, gently interlacing his fingers with mine, one of the most affectionate things he could have done to show our love in public. A smile went across my face, 'I truly am home.'


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: There was a lemon in this portion of the fanfic but it has been edited because I want to comply with FanFiction rules. Please go to A Single Spark if you wish to read the full chapter.**

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About mid way through the feast, I noticed a large area in the middle of the courtyard had been cleared away for entertainment. There were murmurings among the guests from foreign territories about something called the 'Tastsuko'. I was a bit curious, and I directed my question to Sesshomaru. "Lord Sesshomaru, what is 'Tatsuko'?" I asked slowly, sipping my green tea.

Sesshomaru set his chopsticks down over a bowl, indicating he had finished eating his fourth course. He seemed to be deep in thought as to how to answer my question, and after a moment replied. "It's a dance. That would be the most accurate way to describe it. But it's unlike anything you have ever seen before. The inu yokai have been practicing the ritual of Tatsuko for well over eight hundred years, and it continues to remain an enchanting spectacle." Nodding, I watched as servants brought a variety of incense burners. One as large as the teapot was set in front of me. Shifting in my seat, I placed my hands in my lap, anticipation bubbling inside of me for what was to come.

Four people walked through the main gate, their appearance making me catch my breath. Three women, one man, all appearing to be a god-on-earth. The male's beauty rivaled that of even my Sesshomaru's, a feat that was seldom heard of. All of the yokai were dressed in light, flowing garments, the women wearing robes styled in a way that I had never seen before. They appeared to be wearing veils, the long silk embroidered with delicate gold or silver circles. The man was only wearing a pair of white haori, which had been changed to a baggier and relaxed fit.

Their physical appearance was what startled me the most, unlike the yokai around me; these four had skin color similar to mine; a deep, deep tan that was nearly as dark as the earth around it. The women also had dark black hair that ran in either thick curls or perfectly strait down their backs. Unlike the women, the man had black hair as well, but it had a garnet-red sheen running through the long, straight locks. The man had dark tattoos etched along his wrists, up his forearms, and on his chest. The women appeared to have a pattern across their back; I was almost certain, but their opaque clothes made it hard to see details, but I was able to garner the dark round spots on their front as the outline of their nipples.

Blushing softly, I leaned into Sesshomaru gently, "who are these people?"

"They're yokai, but they're different from me or anyone in my family. Unlike royal blood, these youkai are descended directly from the gods themselves, not from the first inu-yokai, as I am. The male, Ziek, is the oldest of the four. All of the women are his Mates, but I do not know their names." I nodded, mesmerized by their foreign appearance. They were demi-gods.

Two servants scurried around, lighting the incense burners. Almost immediately, dark clouds of color came from the burners, each with a different hue; violet, blue, dark red and black. The male, Ziek, approached the burner with the black smoke, and moved softly, in time with the dark vapor. Similarly, his mates did the same, each moving to a desired burner.

Suddenly, without warning they broke apart, the women a flurry of movement and smoke. Swirls of color surrounded the Tatsuko, their bodies in tuned with each other. The women moved with a sensual ferocity that made my face burn from embarrassment, their breasts often become visible with a flick of their nearly see-through silk coverings.

One woman brought her hand up, catching some of the smoke in it. Taking it to her lips, she blew out of her cupped palm, and images swirled through the smoke, showing the creation of Japan by the gods. The images splintered off, become complex patterns that swirled and moved within themselves, the smoke floating over the crowd.

The woman next to her caught violet smoke, showing the founding of the yokai house. A large white inu-yokai drifted from the sky, away from Heaven, and into the Western Territory. When the yokai placed his left paw on the Earth, the rocks crumbled away, forming the Moon palace. As he put his other paw forward, he transformed to look like that of a human, a blue circle on his forehead. Even the moon loved the yokai who had descended, and part of the light broke off, forming into the shape of a human as she landed on earth. The inu-yokai greeted her with open arms, and as the two embraced. They suddenly splintered apart, turning into small, violet colored orbs that drifted across the room for a few moments before dissipating.

A woman blew the red smoke, the red smoke was blown, and it showed the events of the Great War a hundred years ago, along the joint victory between Inu-Taisho and Lady Midoriko. The two embraced, similar to how the moon and the first inu youkai did, both equally as handsome as their predecessors. But, the image was soon distorted by that of a funeral pyre, and a soft light escaping from Midoriko; the Shikon no Tama.

Ziek drew two hand fulls of smoke, blowing the smoke from his left hand out first. Images whirled, showing Sesshomaru and me; the color of the Shikon no Tama drifting into my body, as well as Sesshomaru's first moments as a full yokai. The images continued to shift and change, and we were suddenly faced with a victorious battle scene, Sesshomaru and I embracing, holding a shining jewel between us. As those images started to splinter, Ziek blew the smoke out of his other hand, showing a different scenario at the end of the battle; this time with Sesshomaru, alone and grieving. He was holding the Shikon no Tama to his chest, the jewel lifeless. Tensiega in his other hand, he appeared to be furiously looking for something, but he couldn't find it. The images dissipated this time with Sesshomaru's face full of sorrow as he stood over something in a forest.

The last images disturbed me, and I gently moved closer to Sesshomaru, who returned the gesture. Shivering, I watched as Ziek dissipated the smoke with his hands, his fingertips starting to shine with a soft, white light. His hands moved nimbly, small beads of light drifting from his fingers, his tattoos swirling. It looked as if his hands were fading into the small bubbles of light, his form becoming wispy in the lantern-light. Similarly, Ziek's mates had pulled their veils and wraps off from around their upper halves, their hands moving in the smoke, leaving pale trails of light behind after them.

Eyes wide, I watched the yokai use powers I had never thought as possible. I gently gripped Sesshomaru's hand, my heart pounding. It was amazing, simply amazing. I had no idea how these yokai were able to transform their bodies in such away, but it was utterly mesmerizing.

Ziek's body was an outline of light, sparkling softly against the smoke, after a moment, the lines that were the edge of his body broke away into tiny, spinning spheres, drifting up towards the sky. His Mates soon followed suit, and the courtyard was left with a content silence.

I felt Sesshomaru stir and my side, and looked over to my yokai lord, finding the expression on his face unsettling. He appeared to be worried about what he had seen, but I did not find anything accept beauty in emotion in the Astra's performance. I stood as Sesshomaru did, both of his nodding slightly to the Taiyoukai and Inuyasha before we exited to the court.

Walking quietly next to Sesshomaru, we moved through the gardens where I had talked to Miroku for a brief time in the morning. Stopping for a moment to admire the view, I looked over at my lord, who seemed rather anxious. "Sesshomaru?" I asked quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder to still his rather anxious moments.

The inu-yokai let out a sigh, gently holding his hand in mine. "Kagome, do you know what the Astra do for us?"

"No…" I replied, placing my other hand on his chest. "You seem to be worried…"

"I have good reason to." Looking down at me, I watched as his dark, amber eyes became shadowed with sadness. "Kagome, the Tatsuko are soothsayers, they receive their divine knowledge directly from Kami and the inu gods… Their visions always come true." I blanched. Had I seen what was going to happen to me? Was I really going to die?

Sensing my uneasiness, Sesshomaru tilted my head up with his right hand, leaning down to give me a gentle kiss. "I will protect you, Kagome; you are my Mate, even if it's unofficial." Returning the kiss, a sudden idea sparked through my mind.

"How do we make it official?" I asked slowly, my hand gently rubbing against the stone-hard muscles beneath his hakama.

Sesshomaru seemed surprised at my question, and slightly flabbergasted as well. "Kagome, really now…" I stood, staring at him defiantly, waiting for a response. Instead of giving me a verbal response, as I had hoped, he leaned down again, this time giving me a much harsher, passionate kiss.

'I see.' I thought, my arms wrapping around his neck as he lifted me up. 'It's inevitable; I do not want to go into battle without knowing the warmth of milord's embrace.' My dark eyes closed, and I tucked my legs neatly around his waist, the crescent moon I wore around my neck digging into both of our chests.

His tongue probed at my lips, and I hesitantly opened them, feeling my muscles tighten in my lower half for something that I was vaguely aware of. Threading my hands through his silver mane, I returned the favor, gently rubbing my smaller, not nearly as rough, tongue against his. His hand strayed from my lower back, gently running down the back of my butt and thigh, a tiny shiver going through me.

Pulling back for air, I blushed as I saw a small trail of saliva suspend between our mouths, and I sheepishly asked, "perhaps we should continue this inside?" Leaning in to give me another kiss, Sesshomaru let out a small grunt for a response, his physical need becoming apparent as I felt something hard press against my inner thigh from underneath his haori.

Sesshomaru carried me back quickly to his rooms, nearly flying across the large, sprawling garden. Apparently he wanted to consummate our public agreement as much as I did. Giggling softly, I pressed my face into his neck as he set me down on his large futon and cushions, the inuyoukai growling softly in response.

Pulling back, I looked up at him, my fingers trailing over the exposed flesh of his neck and collarbones. "I'm not sure what to do." I whispered softly, a bit excited. It was like tasting a long-forbidden fruit after one had been staring at it for weeks on end.


	22. Chapter 22

Naraku felt his insides heave from the steady motion of waves. Letting out a groan, the evil hanyo felt his stomach churn, as if he was about to throw up. One thing he had forgotten to incorporate in his plan was the act of actually traveling to the Moon Palace. It could only be accessed by the sea if the humans wanted to have some sort of advantage. Going through the forest was a definite naught; the inu-taiyokai had some of the best kitsune patrollers around.

Scowling, he rested his head against the cold wood of the barrel next to him. The crew and other soldiers around him had similar symptoms, and it made him realize that if they were to show up on land, weak and sick from the storm, the humans would show absolutely no threat at all. Making up his mind, he shifted his body into a meditative position, his hands on his knees in a lotus position as his soul escaped its physical shell and symptoms.

xxxxxx

"Kagura…. Kagura…." Naraku called out, rather impatiently on the astral plane that he shared with his two sisters. He didn't have time to waste, and he did not need a pesky wind bitch analyzing his every move.

"Yeah, what is it, Naraku?" The wind sorceress said loudly, her form blurry against the gray light of the astral plane. She wasn't to happy about having to suddenly meet Naraku.

"Get rid of the storm that's hindering the human ships." Naraku ordered, rather tartly. He received a large, "feh" of a response, but the wind sorceress returned to her body, showing that she would comply with his wish.

Taking a moment to mentally prepare him self for the heaviness and sickness that his body possessed, Naraku slowly started to return to the natural world. What seemed like mere seconds on this plane could actually be hours in the human world, and when he returned to his body, Kagura should have cleared the storm by then with her wind powers.

xxxxxxx

Taking a deep breath, the dark-haired man looked up at a clear, crescent-mooned sky. Naraku couldn't help but smile; sometimes that horrid sister of his actually retained some use. Standing slowly, his legs wobbling, Naraku peered out across the new placid water, planning his next moves. He would have to sneak in with the other humans until they reached the palace, which then he could revert to his original form. The inu-yokai would think him to be another one of their hanyo servants or allies, and he would be able to infiltrate the Moon Palace to look for Kagome. Rubbing his head, Naraku had to hand it to him self; it was an easy enough plan, and it was going to be executed flawlessly. Almost letting out an evil chuckle, he quickly covered the noise with a cough, turning back around to face the human men behind him. 'Pathetic.' Naraku thought to himself as he observed the men. They had no idea why they were going to attack this foreign city, or for what purpose. Almost all of Emperor Takashi's men were present, and on the hundreds of ships around them. Only two or three battalions had gone over to the yokai side, those that were controlled by the Lieutenant Miroku. 'Easy enough.'

"Mito! Stop you're day dreaming and help us make something to eat!" A commander called, and Naraku spun to the man, barely resisting the urge to disembowel him.

"Of course sir, right away sir." And thus, the mask of Juei Mito once again fell over Naraku's face, the humans around him unaware of the spider hidden amongst them.

xxxxxxx

Kagura scowled, her feather twirling around slowly in the wind. 'Naraku… And all of his damn orders, perhaps I should just go and warn the Taiyokai!' Sighing at her rebellious thoughts, Kagura taped her metal fan against her left palm, thinking. 'My heart… My precious heart.'

The wind sorceress, along with her sister, the Soul Collector Kanna, had been underneath Naraku's dominance for as long as she could remember. She had Naraku weren't even true siblings; she was rather an incarnation of him, one among many. Unlike the other incarnations, Naraku had given her and Kana a soul and heart, but grasped those things to use as leverage against the two sisters, thus forcing their obedience.

Clutching the material over her left breast, as if she could feel Naraku place pressure on her delicate heart, Kagura decided what her course of action must be. She would have to join the side of the inuyoukai to escape the shackles Naraku had placed on her. It was risky, but Kagura had to do it, if not for her, but for her younger sister. "Yes, I will do it." Reassuring her self that was she was going to do was the right thing; Kagura flicked her fan, changing the direction of her feather towards the Moon Palace.


	23. Chapter 23

I woke to the sound of rain pattering against the wooden coverings of the windows. Letting out a yawn, I sat up slowly, my lower half throbbing in protest for a few moments. Remembering the details of the night before, I felt a small blush creep to my face, but almost all hesitation was gone from me in concerns with my relationship with Sesshomaru.

'Where is Sesshomaru?' Frowning, I looked around for the yokai lord, but he was no where to be found. Sighing, I crawled out of the futon, noticing a tiny note he had left for me. Picking it up, I read it, then scowled. 'He left me behind!' Standing up quickly, I whipped about the room, finding a new set of clothes that a maid had laid out for me. I pulled them on and reached for my brush. Apparently Sesshomaru had war business to take care of, which wasn't much of a surprise, but I would have liked to of kissed him good bye, at least. Combing my hair roughly, I put it into a ponytail, noticing that I still wore the heavy crescent-moon around my neck. Moving to take it off, I stopped, instead tucking it underneath my heavy canvas and silk kimono.

Stepping out of the room, I donned a new pair of tabi, but with military shoes instead. 'I must be ready to protect my self…' Wincing at the notion of all out war, I ran through the private chambers of the inu yokai, hoping to make it in time to an armory, or to see my Sesshomaru before the Continent's ships arrived.

xxxxxxx

The soldiers were anxious, along with their commanders. Inuyasha appeared to be particularly fidgety, something that annoyed his other brother. "InuYasha, cease your abominable twitching or I'll cut your ears off." Sesshomaru growled softly to his brother, who turned an annoyed glare at him.

"Shut up. I have reason to be fidgety." The hanyo snapped in reply, his ears now flat against this skull.

Sesshomaru couldn't agree more with his brother. He had to leave his Kagome early after their first time together, something that annoyed the yokai to a great extent. Three kitsune scouts had been found dead some time after midnight and each were marked with the symbols of a Tao Master.

'This is going to be a pincer attack.' Sesshomaru thought to him self, placing his hand on Tokijin as he spotted a creamy sail in the distance. "Men, prepare yourself." The soldiers behind him quickly got into formation. The sight of them made Sesshomaru's heart sink even more. There were so few yokai left in comparison to the thousands of humans that were going to attack. Yokai may be stronger and have a greater endurance than humans, but even they could get overwhelmed.

A wolf's howl was heard off to his right, turning, Sesshomaru acknowledging the ookami prince with a curt nod of his head. He was inwardly relieved to see the ookami's fighting force, which added at least seventy-five youkai to their ranks, along with an unknown amount of animal-wolves.

Finally, as if waiting for the last moment, the Taiyokai appeared. He was leading a battalion as well, the Royal Guard. The Royal Guard were some of the most trusted and skilled fighters in all of the Western Territory, their skills easily surpassing Sesshomaru's small espionage team.

Inu-Taisho withdrew Sounga from its sheath; the Hell sword emitting off such an aura that it made Sesshomaru's skin prickle. Raising the sword, the inu-yokai let out a roar.

The battle was on.

xxxxxxx

I stopped suddenly, my hands clutching the area above my heart. I felt something ripple through the atmosphere, the aura was incomprehensibly evil. It made my very core shudder. Wincing, I took a momentary breath before turning into the armory. There were few weapons or armor sets left, as I had imagined, but I was surprised to see a person moving about inside of it. "Uhm… Excuse me?" I called out timidly, peering into the gloom.

A familiar head popped up; Sango. Grinning, I rushed towards the woman, embracing her in a hug that was quickly returned. "I am glad to see you are here, Lady Kagome." Sango said quietly. "I had meant to give this to you on our first day here." She held up an oil-paper wrapped package that was about three feet long. 

Immediately knowing what it was, I took it from her, a grin spreading across my face. "Thank you, Sango!" Unwrapping it, I marveled at the bow the taijiya had smithed for me. The main handle was made out of the bone from the yokai I had almost a month ago, and it had dark, red wood extending out of it. On the tips of the wood, I noticed that the taijiya had attached more of the bone, giving the bow even more resistance, and a longer firing range.

I could see Sango beaming, and she pulled out a quiver full of arrows. "Here, you'll need these, along with this." She held up another weapon, this time a kunai that was around eighteen inches long. Marveling at the blade, I took it from her, wincing as the sharp blade cut my thumb. "What metal is this?" I asked slowly, staring at the ripples made in to the metal.

"It's called Damascus, I believe. When my great-grandfather left Japan, he came to a strange desert country beyond the horizon. He was surprised because his katana broke in half when it was deflected by one of these blades, and he asked for their leader to construct two-hundred of them. Unfortunately, this one, and two others, are the only ones that made it back to Japan."

I nodded slowly, marveling at the foreign blade before I put it into an appropriately sized sheath. "Thank you, Sango, I shall use it in my time of need."

The taijiya pulled up a large boomerang she had been repairing, testing its balance before placing it on her back. "Miroku is already down there with his men. I was worked on his weapon, then mine." Nodding again, I followed the taijiya out, noticing Kirara had already transformed.

"Sango?"

"Yes?" She replied, going onto Kirara's back. "Do you need a ride to Lord Sesshomaru?"

I shook my head, "No, I do not wish to distract him. But please, I want to make sure you'll be alright, so don't take any unnecessary risks, alright?"

She seemed surprised at my request, but she smiled, nodding slightly. "Of course, Lady Kagome, and I say the same to you."

I watched her disappear into the sky, before I turned to my right, running through the royal palace. I hadn't seen one servant yet, and I assumed they were hiding in a safe-area, or had fled to the surrounding countryside. I slowed as I passed by the courtyard, remembering the Tatsuko's predictions from the previous night. 

Taking a moment to reflect, I quickly hurried on again, and this time I encountered someone rather surprising; a maid. She seemed to be a bit lost, and was as frantic as I was. She was also carrying a large, metallic fan and had bright, red eyes. I shuddered, watching the woman look around. Her eyes reminded me of Naraku; someone who I would quickly want to forget. She spotted me, and quickly moved over, shuffling towards me as best she could in her kimono. "Are you Lady Kagome?" She asked, scrutinizing me.

"Ah… Yes… And who are you?" I replied slowly. Something about the woman made me feel uncomfortable, and my hand flew to the blade at my hip. I hadn't yet had a time to string my bow, and I doubt if I would be able to in a matter of seconds.

She flicked her fan open; red designs, similar to that of wind were painted onto it. "Good, I have found you." Her motions were jerky and it appeared as if she was acting against her will. She drew her hand up, the fan precariously balanced. Something made me draw my blade out. Without warning, a blast of wind assaulted me, ripping and pulling at my clothes and hair. Wincing, I flew back ten feet, skidding to a halt on my back. "Lady Kagome, it is time for you to die." The female hanyo whispered, and raised her fan again.

xxxxxx

Inuyasha swore loudly, jumping back multiple times to avoid a turquoise blast from one of the Tao Masters. He and other yokai were having similar problems with the foreign holy-men, and the soldiers appeared to be protected with a similar magic, as if it was embedded in their armor. 

Preparing him self, Inuyasha drew his sword up, feeling the wind encircle his blade. "Kaze no Kizu!" Demonic energy whipped out, flying towards a nearby ship and group of men. The Tao Master easily deflected it, InuYasha's attack melting away from the turquoise energy. Swearing again, the hanyo streaked across the battlefield, heading back towards his father. The only person who seemed to have any sort of affect against the foreign attackers was the Taiyokai. Sounga's hell-energy could apparently negate and attack the tao-masters.

A dark purple tornado appeared around Inu-Taisho's sword as the man spun it around above him. The dark energy rippled and cracked, and with an easy flick of the wrist, it was sent spiraling at three ships, destroying the vessels easily. 

The Taiyokai jumped back, standing between his two sons. "This is obviously not going to work, Sesshomaru, Inuyasha. The only way that we can over power these men is if we have an energy force, be it evil or pure, that's stronger then theirs. And so far, my sword is the only thing that can counter act it."

Sesshomaru scowled, but he agreed. "Yes, what do you suggest we do?"

"Get Kagome." The Taiyokai replied, energy appearing on his left hand as he prepared multiple poison-flower whips. Sesshomaru stared at his father, his hand gripping Tokijin even tighter.

"Is there some other way?" The inuyoukai asked.

"No, she is the only one that has enough spiritual energy to defeat these men." Inu-Taisho replied, three whips falling from his hand, and onto the ground, melting away the grass and dirt beneath them.

"But her powers are still dormant, what good will she do?" Inuyasha protested, and Sesshomaru felt slightly relieved. As long as it was Inuyasha protesting, he would not have to worry about his appearance to his soldiers.

The Taiyokai scowled. "Stop acting like pups! Sesshomaru, go get Kagome, I know you would have no other but your self retrieve your Mate." After a brief moment of hesitation, as if contemplating protesting again, Sesshomaru sheathed Tokijin, launching off towards the palace.

xxxxxxx

I swore, and ran behind a large marble column as more of the wind, this time laced with silver sickles, whizzed by me. Large pieces of the rock column were taken off, and I quickly started to string my bow. It probably wouldn't do any good, but I had to try something, anything to get this woman to stop attacking me. Knocking an arrow, I stepped out from behind the column, surprised to see her gone.

"Behind you." The evil woman hissed, her voice laced with malice. I barely had time to dodge another gust of wind, my arrow snapping in half as I rolled away. Panting, I looked up to see the woman standing over me, her red eyes dulled. She was being controlled, but by what, I didn't know. Grabbing another arrow, I fired it off blindly, the woman easily deflecting it with her fan. "Those are useless against me." Her voice was rigid, and she grabbed the front of my kimono with her left hand.

Struggling, I managed to knee her, the hanyo doubling over in pain as I scrambled away, reaching for another arrow. Taking a moment to aim, I managed to shoot out an arrow, but she stopped it with her fan as well. Rolling to the side to avoid another onslaught of wind, I panted, drawing my blade once again. "Who are you? Why are you trying to kill me?" I breathed out, looking up at the woman.

She smirked, "Naraku wants you dead, Lady Kagome, and I am just his servant." She brought her fan up again, and this time I didn't have time to move or block. The deadly sickles tore at my body, and I felt pain well up in a number of places. Flying back, I hit a large column, my head smacking against the back of it.

I slumped to the ground, spots dancing before my eyes. My mouth hanging open as I tried to regain my senses. My hands fumbled for my arrows, but the quiver had been blown off and was lying well behind me, many of the arrows broken. My blade wouldn't do any good, so I sheathed it again. All I had was my bow, the weapon humming softly under my touch.

"It's time to die, Kagome." Naraku's servant said with a sneer across her face, and raised her hand. "Dragon Dance." She whispered calmly, and tornados flew out of her fan.

I held the bow up to somehow block the attack. Suddenly I felt power appear from somewhere inside of me, and a pink light went through the bow, creating a barrier that bounced the hanyo's attack back at her. Hearing her scream, she attempted to block it with her fan, but the piece of metal crumpled under the combined force of her attack and my barrier. 

Gasping for breath, I managed to open my eyes to see the woman covered in pink electricity, her body rolling around on the ground. She was soundlessly screaming, her red eyes as wide as they would go. Suddenly, in one violent motion, she exploded into dust.

I stared at the dust pile for a moment, and noticed a faint light was coming out of it, drifting upward. I quickly made a ward against evil, the light was that of a soul's and it was rare, and often unlucky for a soul to stay after the body's death. The soul had the same appearance as her corporal body, but she was happy now, and smiled down at me. "Thank you, Lady Kagome." Her voice was hollow, and it made my hair stand on end. "Naraku was controlling me until my death, and I wanted to warn the Taiyokai… But it appears to be too late…" She started to drift up, and I panicked. 

"What did you want to warn him of? Tell me, please!" I called out, staring at the white and blue light started to disappear, floating apart.

"Your union with Sesshomaru has created a string of events that cannot be dispersed…" The soul completely drifted apart, and I was left there, unsure of how to react to what she had said.

'A string of events?' Wincing as I stood, I collected my quiver. I felt exhausted, it seemed as if each time I called up that strange, purifying power, my energy would wane and I would be ultimately useless. Opening a door to a medicine room, I shut it behind me, settling down in a corner with a small cushion. I just needed to rest… Just for a few minutes…

xxxxxx

I woke some time later, a person kneeling down in front of me, gently shaking me awake. Yawning, I rubbed my eyes, seeing the familiar features of Sesshomaru. "My lord…?" I asked slowly, my eyes a bit bleary.

"Good to see you're alright, what happened, Kagome?" Concern was laced through his voice, and I gave him a weary smile.

"I was attacked, and I defended my self, it's as simple as that. What are you doing here?" I stood up with his aid, wobbling for a moment. My body was incredibly sore from the purifying power that surged out of the Shikon no Tama. I made a conscious decision not to tell him of my fight with Naraku's minion, not wanting to worry the yokai.

"Father requested your aid, we need your help." He replied slowly, gently pulling me into his arms. Lying in his arms, bridal style, I snuggled against his coarse kimono, my right hand going over his shoulder. I noticed he had my quiver on his back, stocked with a new set of arrows.

We left the medicinal storage room, and Sesshomaru flew over the palace, towards the battlefield. I felt my eyes widen as I saw the wreckage, finding it hard to believe what I saw. There were hundreds of yokai, some partially transformed, others completely. Three large inu-yokai streaked across the sky, attacking an enormous armada that kept pouring into the Moon Palace's bay. I could see Sango fighting off in the distance, with Miroku, along with a few other yokai that I knew partially.

Suddenly it felt as if someone had dropped a large hunk of ice into my stomach, and I looked to my left, amazed a purple and black tornado ripped across the land. Apparently that was the origin of the evil aura I had felt before. "What was that?" I whispered softly, my voice barely sounding above the sounds of the battlefield.

"That was my Father's power." Sesshomaru replied calmly, stepping down on a large rock to jump off again. "Unfortunately, only he can overwhelm the Tao Masters enough to break through their barriers and destroy them. Inuyasha and I can if we can combine our powers, but it's a long process, and time is what we don't have."

I frowned, "How am I supposed to help then? I can't fire off the Shikon no Tama's power without being in some sort of danger."

Sesshomaru stepped down a few yards behind Inu-Taisho and Inuyasha, the two turning around to greet us. The Taiyokai drew glowing green whips back into his hand, obviously starting to grow fatigued. "Kagome, we need your power." 

I watched as Inu-Taisho's royal guard flanked around us, protecting us from the brunt of the battlefield. "How? I can't use it yet!"

He shook his head, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Please, try anything, if you don't, I'm afraid that we may not be able to win."

Gulping, I restrung my bow quickly, taking the quiver of arrows from Sesshomaru. "I'll try, but I don't know how much use I'll be."

"Thank you," the Taiyokai said, and returned, preparing to launch another attack. Taking a breath, I pulled an arrow out from the quiver. I moved forward a few feet, Sesshomaru at my side. I felt content with him there, and I touched his hand for a moment, and I took my bearings. Raising an arrow, I knocked it, my hands shaking. I took aim at the broadside of a nearby boat, pouring what I thought to be my power into it. I let the arrow fly. 


	24. Chapter 24

I watched in anticipation as the arrow arched, hoping with all of my might that it would pierce the barrier. It didn't. It hit the turquoise barrier head on, everything down to the iron head shattering against the spiritual power of the Tao Masters.

Scowling, I pulled out another arrow, pouring my annoyance and frustration into it. I let this one fly, but my aim was off, Sesshomaru having pulled me out of the way of a stampeding band of yokai. This arrow had a similar end to my first, and I felt my anger start to mount. Was I really this useless?

I moved closer, this time working on my aim, looking for any sort of weak spot in the barrier. I noticed a faint flickering at the very top of the light, where it was swirling around like a whirlpool. I let my arrow go, and this time there was a slight change in it, a small amount of pink energy ran along its head and shaft. Suddenly, without any warning, it hit the barrier, but didn't break, instead moving very slowly through it, as if it had enough power to maintain its' shape, but not enough to completely pierce the spiritual energy. "Come on!" I muttered, my fists clenching around my bow.

Some of the men that were pouring out from under that barrier had stopped to watch my arrow, and many started screaming in the Continent's language and sailors started to abandon the ship. The barrier flickered and churned, and it caved in on it self, an explosion accompanying its collapse. Everything stopped on the battle field, and I dropped to my knees, panting softly. I had done it! I had broken their line of defense! I let an exhausted grin go across my face, and Sesshomaru lifted me up by the waist, carrying me back to safety.

"You're quite a unique woman." Sesshomaru said at my glee, but I could feel his approval radiate through his being, and I was happy. He set me down inside of the Taiyokai's protective ring of Royal Guards, and I took a moment to catch my breath. It was exhausting, calling up that power, but I was satisfied, and apparently the inu-yokai were as well, for they charged with a new gusto and went with even more zeal to break down the enemy ranks.

"We have a chance now, because of you, Lady Kagome." The Taiyokai said, sheathing his hell-katana. "Please rest and tell us when you can fire off another round." I nodded, and curled up next to Sesshomaru's side, the yokai lord refusing to leave me. The last thing I saw before I dozed off was Inuyasha and his father charged forward, their katanas raised.

xxxxxx

_I was floating. I couldn't see or hear. I couldn't taste or smell._

_Suddenly, pink light bloomed, and I was standing in front of a long line of mikos. The one closest to me I recognized immediately; Midoriko. _

_She smiled at me, and brought a hand up, a blooming, white lotus nestled in her palm. "Kagome…" She whispered, taking a step forward to lay her other hand on my shoulder, "it's time."_

"_Time for what?" I asked, taking the flower from her hands, cupping it between mine delicately. "And who are they?" _

_Midoriko smiled again, looking to her left, a long line of mikos, as far as the eye could see, were lined up. "They are your passed lives, just as I was." _

"_And who are they?" I asked slowly, looking to her right._

"_They are your future lives, Kagome. But right now, you need to bloom into your power; you're only giving your yokai lord a small fraction of your potential." She reached forward, placing a hand over the flower, her finger tips brushing my upturned wrist. "Bloom."_

_I felt something break inside of me, and I shuddered, grabbing the cloth above my heart. Midoriko drew her hand back and the lotus opened all the way in my palm. Out of reflex, I grabbed it, and the petals swirled around me._

xxxxxx

Someone was shaking me awake, and I opened my eyes to the concerned gaze of Sesshomaru. "Kagome, are you okay? You suddenly started glowing, and I was worried that you were injured."

I nodded, sitting up slowly. "I feel better then okay, I feel great actually…" Frowning, I looked down at my hands, my eyes widening. Across my palms I had a large imprint of a lotus flower. I had really talked to Midoriko and I had seen my past and future lives! I had only heard of such a thing occurring with great Zen Buddhists or spiritual leaders, such as the Buddha him self. Shaking, I stood slowly, Sesshomaru grabbing my arms to help me up. "My bow." I whispered, and a royal guard hurried over, handing me the yokai-bone weapon and a large quiver of arrows.

"Kagome, I really think you shouldn't…" Sesshomaru started, but I stopped him with my finger tips, surprise flashing across the yokai's face. He noticed the imprint on my hand, and he grabbed it, gently running over the soft lines with his claws. Concern filled his every fiber, and he addressed me skeptically, questions burning in his golden eyes.

"I'm fine, Sesshomaru." I replied, and I pulled my hand back, stringing the bow in one quick motion. "I truly am." He had grabbed me, this time holding me close, as if protecting me. "Sesshomaru!" I protested, pushing against his muscled chest.

"Be careful." He whispered, leaning down to give me a bruising kiss, "I want you to come back. Even though we'll be fighting side by side, something about this power is off…"

"I suppose it is…" I replied, and pulled an arrow out. "But it's going to save us, so we can't complain."

Sesshomaru didn't reply, but his stoic mask had slipped back on, and I recognized the need for actions, not words. "Let's go."

He picked me up, cradling me gently against his chest, and he took off, heading closer to the foreign ships. He set me down, and in the same motion drew his demon sword, Tokijin. "Kagome, break the barriers and I'll take care of the rest."

"Understood." I whispered, and I drew the bowstring back to my ear, aiming at the nearest ship. The morale of the enemy had quavered, but the armada was still advancing, their hope to win by outnumbering the youkai and the measly force of humans standing in their way. I locked the weak spot in the barrier in my mind, and I let the arrow go.

Instead of a small streak of pink, the arrow exploded into a swirling mass of pink energy, spiraling towards the barrier. Men and yokai alike shrieked, and the barrier exploded, the turquoise energy flying in every direction. Sesshomaru swung Tokijin, electric youkai energy flying through the air, hitting the ship along with many of the surrounding enemy shoulders. It exploded, and debris showered the surrounding barriers and people, a satisfied smirk going over my lord's face.

I took a breath, drawing another arrow. This time, I aimed at the broadside of the barrier, hoping to take down two of the ships at the same time. The arrow flew, and two of the barriers exploded. Instead of Sesshomaru, the surrounding youkai leapt onto the ships, destroying them completely.

My hands felt shaky, but I knew I could keep going, and this time I turned to my left, letting an arrow streak through the ranks of enemy soldiers, the men becoming dust as they were purified. The power of the Shikon no Tama was truly fearsome, but I started to feel giddy and happy. This power was saving my lord, our family, and my friends. I wasn't useless, like Father had predicted, I was powerful, and I was protecting what was dear to me.

My mind became a blur as I fired off round after round of my power, slicing through hundreds of Tao barriers, killing hundreds of the soldiers. My body had become a vessel for the Shikon no Tama to expel its purifying power, and the lotus on my hands had grown darker in color, the lines becoming thicker each time I let the power inside of me go.

There were only thirty or so ships left, but these were the hardest. The more arrows I fired off, the more taxed my body became. Even thought I didn't recognize it at first, I noticed my reflexes and reactions were slowing, and I wasn't able to straighten my hands out anymore.

I had become separated from Sesshomaru, and the battle was becoming harder and harder. These ships were protected not only with a barrier, but also a barrage of weapons like I had never seen before. They shot out large, iron balls that decimated the yokai, even with the power and stamina, the inus could not stand up against these new weapons.

I ducked to the side, hiding behind a large rock as barrages of the balls were fired out, many sailing over my head. I had to do something, but I didn't know what. I needed to help the yokai around me, but I could barely move my arms now, and I had long since run out of arrows.

I looked around, hoping to find something, anything I could use. A red katana caught my eye, and a crawled forward, rock shards flying around me, cutting my hands and face. I grabbed the metal sword with my broken hands, the lotus on my palms glowing silver. I shifted, drawing the large blade in one clumsy motion. I had never used one of these, but I needed something to defend my self with.

Ducking as another barrage of the iron weapons sailed over head, I tried to crawl back towards my shelter, but something grabbed my hair, and I froze. I gripped the katana in my right hand, trying to stand up, but I found it impossible.

"A woman on the battlefield? How pathetic." A familiar voice said behind me, and I felt my stomach drop. I looked over my shoulder slowly, and I saw the red glow of the monster Naraku.

"You…" I whispered, trying to get out of his grip.

"Yes, I." He drew me up by my braid, and I screamed, feeling pain go through my scalp. He brought a small knife out, holding it to my throat. "I would kill you, if it weren't for the fact that the Shikon no Tama has spawned inside of you."

"Kind of makes it hard to say I'm useless, doesn't it?" I retorted, trying to get out of his grip. My hold on the katana in my hand was shaky, at best, but it would have to do. Raising my hand, I tried to stab backward, through his chest, but he laughed, parrying my half-hearted attack with his knife.

"Really now, Kagome, that won't work on me." He leaned forward, running his tongue over the thin flesh of my neck. He drew back though, as if he had tasted something horrible. "I see, you let your self be ravished by that horrid inu."

I felt anger swell inside of me, and I had a sudden idea. If I couldn't get out of his grip with a direct attack…! I suddenly swung my katana around, taking off my braid, as well as his left hand. Blood spurted everywhere, covering my back and head. I dropped to the ground, but I immediately moved forward, turning around to face the hanyo.

"You bitch!" He growled at me, Naraku's red eyes glowing with anger. He gripped the stump of his left hand with his right, and his form started to break apart. "I don't care if you are the new heir of the jewel, I'll kill you!" His form disintegrated into a mass of yokai and human parts, which were connected like a rag doll. I felt my self gag as the horrid smell of rotting meat greeted my nose, and I scrambled back, my stomach jumping to my throat. I turned my head away, feeling my self start to gag, but I had to turn my attention back to Naraku as his form expanded.

I blocked a sudden attack, a large tentacle swiping down, trying to cut me in half. "I'll take the Shikon no Tama out of you, wench!" He snarled down at me, and I rolled to the side, standing up on shaky legs.

His form was horrid, and Naraku had a large, red eye on the center of his still human formed chest. Shuddering, I took a step back, holding the katana in front of me. This was the monster hiding beneath the form of Naraku, and I was only more thankful that I had followed Kaede's advice from all those months ago.

Naraku took a breath, and expelled a large cloud of purple gas. I felt the poison from within it start to affect my sight and reaction even more. "Shit!" Shuddering, I dropped to my knees, my katana clattering at my side. My muscles were screaming in pain, and I felt my insides contract painfully. A tentacle wrapped around my waist, pulling me up to eye-level with the vile monster. I gagged and coughed, my body twitching painfully as I was forced inhale more of the poisoned gas. I wanted to yell, to cry, do anything to get out of his grip.

Naraku was laughing, laughing at my pain and misery. "Where's your yokai lord now, bitch?" He growled, drawing me closer to his face. On cue, the blinding blue light of Sesshomaru's katana washed across Naraku's back, the monster yelling out in pain.

I let out a gasp, trying to free my lungs of the poison gas. "Kagome!" I heard Sesshomaru call, trying to get to me.

Naraku was putting up a fight, parrying and attacking Sesshomaru's every blow. I felt my self start to slip away, but I willed my self to stay awake, moving my body forward to place my hands against the tentacle holding me captive. "Disappear." I whispered, and the lotus on my hands reacted, the tentacle exploding beneath my touch.

I fell to the ground, hard, and everything felt jarred. I stood up, barely managing to understand that the blood streaming down my face was not my own, but Naraku's, the monster yelling out in agony. "I'll kill you!" He stabbed towards me with his tentacles, but I brought my hands up, silver light emitting from my palms. The tentacles exploded, and Naraku screamed with rage, attacking me with all his might. I was barely aware of my actions, my body moving on my own as I slowly destroyed the foul beast.

"Kagome!" Sesshomaru called to me, unable to reach me through the barrage of tentacles and poison, "KAGOME!"

I felt my self smile, but I wasn't sure why. I reached forward, finally managing to reach Naraku's head and chest. "Goodbye, Naraku…" I whispered, and silver light collecting around his head. Everything turned white, and my power exploded out of me, sending me flying.

I barely remember Sesshomaru catching me before I hit the ground, silver lotus blossoms showering down on us from above. I remember Sesshomaru's hands running over me, checking to make sure I was alive.

Then, my mind started to drift away, and I heard him calling to me, but I couldn't respond. I was gone.


	25. Chapter 25

_Everyone was crying, and it made me sad. Sango was weeping against Miroku's chest and the soldier had silent tears running down his face. _

_My attention turned to my lord, and the inu-yokai was cold, his vision blank. I could feel an aura of sadness come from his large frame, and I felt remorse well inside of me. _

_It had been a week since I had died. Sesshomaru had tried to revive me with his heaven sword, Tensiega, repeatedly, but it was hopeless, my spirit had escaped and returned to samsara. He had grown depressed and withdrawn, and he only let two people see him, his father and Inuyasha. _

_I had been confused as they were when I had first appeared in the spirit realm, I had thought that I was dreaming again. However, Midoriko had proven to me that I was quite dead. Midoriko had explained that I had used too much of my power, and that the silver energy I had emitted was my very soul, but she had assured me it was worth it._

_Was it really? I felt that it was Midoriko's fault that I had died. She was the one who had forced the Shikon no Tama to awaken in me, forced me to fight. But in the end, I was dead and I could do nothing about my situation, not even tell Sesshomaru._

_I watched as the Taiyokai put a ceremonial torch in the pyre beneath my body, followed by Sesshomaru, then Inuyasha. I felt sadness well up inside of me as my lord became even more withdrawn. He had spoken to the ookami prince, who had apparently known of my curse. Koga had seen it with his ookami eyes, both what Midoriko had done and the effects of Naraku's curse on me. Koga had in turn explained to Sesshomaru what happened and who the cause of it was. Sesshomaru immediately swore vengeance on my behalf, but what could he do? He would have to fight the gods themselves to get the revenge he was looking for. _

_I approached him slowly, want to ease his pain. My spirit had no tangible limbs or feeling, but I could try. I drew my hand gently over his broad shoulders, and I leaned in, whispering softly, "I love you."_

_Sesshomaru turned around suddenly; he had heard me. For a moment, I thought he had glimpsed me in this form, but I doubted that was the case. I smiled as he saw him look around, turning away from my now burning body, in hopes of catching a vision of me._

_I felt my self start to drift away as my earthly shell became ash, and I felt my self become content. There was always the next life, and I had no doubt in my mind that I would meet Sesshomaru again. We hadn't let Fate stop us from meeting and loving each other so we certainly weren't going to let Fate tear us apart. I was his and he was mine, it was as simple as that. _


End file.
